Overview

Being two very old civilizations, and cultural heritages, India and Bulgaria have developed close and cordial relations over the years, despite geographical distance. The links between the two countries are steeped in antiquity, and in the recorded history, we have traces of contacts between these two great civilizations in the 8th Century A.D. Recent research studies show some similarity between the old Indian script Brahmi and the ancient Bulgarian script Glagolitsa. Even the great Bulgarian Revolutionary Rakovski, while opposing British colonialism-imperialism in India, went to the extent of declaring that the forefathers of Bulgarians belonged originally to India. Whatever might be the findings of history, comparative philosophy and ethnology on the ancient links between the two countries, in modern times, India and Bulgaria, as two independent nation-States have developed close, cordial and multi-dimensional relationship.

  Indo-Bulgarian Bilateral Relations

Indo-Bulgarian ties have traditionally been close and friendly. Diplomatic relations were established in 1954. Close political understanding marked by frequent high level exchanges, as well as extensive cultural interactions, have been important features of the bilateral links.

Milestones in India’s bilateral relationship with Bulgaria have been visits from India by Vice-President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1954), PM Indira Gandhi (1967), President V.V. Giri (1976), President Sanjiva Reddy (1980), PM Indira Gandhi (1981), Vice President R. Venkataraman (1985), President S.D. Sharma (1994), Vice President Krishan Kant (2000) and President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (2003). From the Bulgarian side, their Presidents visited India in 1976, 1983 and 1998, and Prime Minister in 1974 and 1980. Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev visited India from September 10-15, 2007.

  Visit of Bulgarian Prime Minister to India (September 10-15, 2007)

Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev paid a State visit to India from September 10-15, 2007. The delegation included Economy and Energy Minister Peter Dimitrov, Justice Minister Miglena Tacheva, Labour and Social Policy Minister Emilia Maslarova and 51 business persons. The Prime Ministers of India and Bulgaria held official talks on bilateral, regional and global issues of mutual concern. Stanishev called on President Smt. Pratibha Patil and Vice President Shri Hamid Ansari, and met with Speaker, Lok Sabha Shri Somnath Chatterjee, External Affairs Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee, Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance Smt. Sonia Gandhi, and Leader of Opposition Shri L.K. Advani. Apart from Delhi, PM Stanishev also paid a visit to Bangalore, Chennai and Agra. In Bangalore, he met with the Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur and Chief Minister H.D.Kumaraswamy. He also visited the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore and had a meeting with senior officials of Infosys Ltd. In Chennai, he met with the Governor of Tamil Nadu Surjit Singh Barnalla and visited the facility of Vestas RRB India Ltd. and Sutherland Global Services IT park. He also paid a visit to Agra during his return journey from Chennai to Sofia. Seven Agreements were signed during the visit.

  Bilateral Agreements Between India And Bulgaria

India and Bulgaria have concluded the following bilateral agreements for smoothly conducting various aspects of diplomatic and economic activities:

1. Cultural Agreement signed at Sofia on 20 February 1963
2. Maritime Agreement signed in 1976
3. Agreement on Cooperation in Tourism; signed in Sofia, May 1994
4. Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation; signed in Sofia, May 1994
5. Agreement on Combating Organized Crime, International Terrorism and Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics and Psychotropic substances; signed in Sofia, May 1994
6. Protocol on Foreign Office Consultations; signed in Sofia, May 1994
7. Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement
8. Air Services Agreement
9. Agreement on Cooperation in the field of Science and Technology
10. Agreement for Cooperation in the field of Agriculture
11. MoU between NCTI (National Centre for Trade Information, India) and BTPA (Bulgarian Trade Promotion Agency) signed in 1998.
12. Cooperation Agreement between the ECGC (Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India) and BAEZ (Bulgarian Export Insurance Agency); signed on 23 December 2002
13. Treaty on Extradition, signed in October 2003
14. Agreement on Cooperation in Youth Affairs and Sports, 23 October 2003
15. MoU for cooperation between the Bulgarian association for the Information Technologies and the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council of India, 23 October 2003
16. MoU on Mutual Cooperation between the Foreign Service Institute, Ministry of External Affairs, India and the Diplomatic Institute of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bulgaria, 28 July 2004
17. Programme of Cooperation for 2005-07 under Science and Technology, signed on 5th December 2005
18. Agreement on Economic Cooperation (September 2007)
19. Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (September 2007)
20. Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Civil and Commercial Matters (September 2007)
21. Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons (September 2007)
22. Protocol for Amending the Agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investment, signed in New Delhi on 26 October 1998 (September 2007)
23. Protocol of Intent on Labour Relations, Employment and Social Security between the Ministry of Labour and Employment of the Republic of India and the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy of the Republic of Bulgaria (September 2007)
24. Memorandum of Understanding between the National Small Industries Corporation Ltd., India, and the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency regarding Cooperation in the field of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises Development (September 2007)

  Bilateral Agreements Between India And Bulgaria

1. Agreement on Quarantine and Plant protection, signed in Sofia, May 1994
2. Veterinary and Sanitary Agreement; signed in Sofia, May 1994

  Recent Bilateral Exchange of Visits :

  Parliamentary Contacts:

There has been a regular exchange of Parliamentary contacts between the two countries. A 26-member Parliamentary Delegation led by Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Health and Family Welfare visited Bulgaria in June 2003. In the Bulgarian Parliament, there is a Parliamentary group of 34 MPs for Indo-Bulgarian Friendship which has representation from the major parties of Bulgaria. Similarly, in the Indian Parliament, an Indo-Bulgarian Friendship Group has been constituted with Shri C. Kishore Chandra S. Deo (INC) as President of the Group, two Vice-Presidents (Shri Basudeb Acharia and Shri Surendra Motilal Patel) as well as 19 other members (13 from Lok Sabha and 6 from Rajya Sabha).

  Foreign Office Consultations:

A Protocol for Foreign Office Consultation was signed in May 1994 during the State visit of President S.D. Sharma to Bulgaria. The first round of Mutual Consultations was held in Sofia (December 1995); second in Delhi (October 1997); the third in Sofia in September 1999). The fourth round of Foreign Office Consultations between the two countries was held in New Delhi on April 27, 2006.

  Defence Cooperation

Indo-Bulgarian Defence Cooperation dates back to 1966 when India started purchase of defence armaments from Bulgaria. In 1979, during the visit of the Indian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister to Bulgaria, it was agreed to establish a Joint Committee with the objective of fostering defence Cooperation between the two countries. An MoU between India and Bulgaria was signed in July 1993 for cooperation between the Defence Ministries of both the countries. The Indo-Bulgarian Joint Committee on Defence Cooperation has met 12 times and the last session was held in New Delhi in 1995.

  Sports

During the visit of Hon’ble President of India Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam to Bulgaria during October 22-24, 2003 an Agreement in the field of Youth and Sports was signed by both the sides. Under the Protocol, a provision exists for bilateral exchange of Specialists, Information and Documentation in the field of Sports. As a run-up to the Athens Olympics scheduled in August 2004, 6 free-style Indian wrestlers trained in Sofia before participating at the Athens Olympics in August 2004. World Chess Champion Vishwanathan Anand came to Sofia in January 2004 for an exhibition match with Bulgarian top player Vesselin Topalov. Anand took part in a chess tournament in May, 2005 in Sofia. Bulgarian Archery coach Ivanov Ivan Yotov coached the Indian archery team which took part in the Olympics in August 2004. Two Bulgarian officials from the Bulgarian State Agency of Youth Affairs and Sports Mr. Ivan Modev, Director General of Youth Policy Directorate and Mr. Nikolay Ivanov, Director of EU Coordination and International Activities Directorate represented Bulgaria at the National Youth Festival which took place from 13th to 17th February, 2006 in Patna. A delegation comprising of 30 sports-persons and officials nominated by the Ministry of Defence of Bulgaria visited Hyderabad, India from October 21, 2007 to take part in the 4th edition of the World Military Games.

  Professional Course for Foreign Diplomats(PCFD)

In line with the MoU signed between Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi and the Bulgarian diplomatic Academy, Bulgarian nationals have been attending PCFD Course in Foreign Service Institute, New Delhi. Mrs Emiliya Yordanova Stefanova- Veleva attended the 40th PCFD from 1 Feb- 10 Mar, 2006. Mrs. Marieta Petrova Arabadjieva attended the 38th PCFD from 22nd August- 30th September, 2005. Ms. Asya Tsvetanova from the Bulgarian Foreign Office attended the 41st PCFD Course (Nov.-Dec. 2006) in New Delhi. Ms. Krassimira Beshkova from the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria attended the 45th PCFD Course in Jan-Feb. 2008.

  Cooperation under UN Courses

Bulgarian nominees have been taking part in the UN Military Contingent Junior Officers Capsule (UNMCJOC) Courses at New Delhi since 2005. Major Todor Yordanov Todorov attended the UNMCJOC- 5 course from August 22, 2005 to Sep 9, 2005. In 2006, Captain Dimitar Penchev Gogov attended the UNMCJOC-6 course from July 3-21, 2006. Lt. Col. Aleksander Donev Aleksiev attended the UNMOC-7 Course from July 9-20, 2007 in New Delhi.