I. Diplomatic Relations

Diplomatic relations between Greece and Bulgaria are excellent and constantly developing on all fronts, especially since Bulgaria's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance (May 2004), and in view of her forthcoming accession to the European Union on 1st January 2007. Following the successful conclusion of the relevant chapters in the negotiations, on April 25, 2005, the EU Accession Treaty of Bulgaria and Romania was signed, and is now in the process of being ratified by EU member-state parliaments. Bulgaria itself ratified the Treaty on May 11, 2005. During the  4^th Greek-Romanian-Bulgarian Trilateral Summit Meeting, which was held in Athens on November 2, 2005, the Bulgarian and Romanian Accession Treaty was signed in a special ceremony by the plenary session of the Hellenic Parliament, with Greek Prime Minister Mr. Kostas Karamanlis, Bulgarian President Mr. Georgi Purvanov and Romanian President Mr. Traian Basescu in attendance. Greece was the fifth EU member state and the first old member state to ratify the Bulgarian-Romanian EU Accession Treaty.  Never before has dialogue between the two countries been so intensive and effective.  Apart from the Greek Embassy in Sofia, there is also a Consulate-General in Sofia and a further one in Plovdiv.

DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS IN BULGARIA

Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on June 25, 2005. In accordance with the announcement issues by the Central Election Committee, the following seven parties are in the Bulgarian Parliament:

•           Coalition for Bulgaria (coalition of parties dominated by the Bulgarian Socialist Party) 34.17%, 82 seats;
•           National Movement for Simeon II 22.08%, 53 seats;
•           Movement for Rights and Freedoms 14.17%, 34 seats;
•           Attack 8.75%, 21 seats;
•           United Democratic Forces 8.33%, 20 seats;
•           Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria 7.08%, 17 seats;
•           Bulgarian Peoples Union 5.42%, 13 seats. 

Based on an agreement signed on August 15, 2005, by the leaders of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), the National Movement for Simeon II (NMS2), and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), a three-party coalition government was formed, headed by Prime Minister Mr. Sergei Stanishev, the head of the BSP (the strongest party), with the post of First Vice President and Foreign Minister taken by Mr. Ivailo Kalfin. Presidential elections are to be held in Bulgaria in the fall of 2006. 

II. Framework of Treaties

These are the main Inter-State Agreements signed over the past 15 years:

1.      Avoidance of Double Taxation on Income and Capital (Athens, 15/2/1991)

2.      Police Cooperation (covering clandestine immigration, terrorism, organised crime, and police training) (Athens,  8/7/1991)

3.      Cooperation between Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces (Athens, 28/11/1991)

4.      Agreement on Seasonal Workers (Athens, 15/12/1995)

5.      Agreement on the Waters of the River Nestos (Sofia 22/12/1995)

6.      Agreement on the Opening of Three New Border Posts and Arterial Road Links between the two countries (Sofia 22/12/1995)

7.      Military and Technical Cooperation (March 1998)

8.      Scientific, Educational and Cultural Agreement (Sofia 12/6/2002) (in application of Article 13 of the Bilateral Cultural Agreement (Athens, 31/05/1973)

9.       Five-Year Development Cooperation Agreement within the framework of the HIBERB (development Aid to Bulgaria of 54,29 million euros) (28/08/2002)

10.   Bilateral Environmental  Protection Agreement (Athens, 01/11/2002)

11.   Aviation Agreement (Athens, 01/11/2002)

12.   Scientific and Technological Cooperation Protocol (Athens, December 2002)

III. Political Relations

Regional Cooperation

- Inter-Balkan Cooperation

The initiative was taken by Greece and Bulgaria to revive inter-Balkan cooperation (Summit Meeting, Crete, November 1997).  Given that the problems of the Balkans can more effectively be dealt with by the Balkan countries themselves and by the peoples of the region, the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) is a useful tool for regional cooperation, which could be upgraded to become an organised institution for the Balkans.

- Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation (BSEC)

There is close coordination between the two countries within the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organisation.  Greece attaches particular importance to this regional formation, which is crucial for promoting economic development and stability in the participating states.  Greece also considers Bulgarias contribution to all sectors of common interest covered by the BSEC to be particularly useful. Since the events of September 11th 2001, it has become obvious that there is a need for joint initiatives to be undertaken to combat international terrorism.

- Tripartite Collaboration (Greece - Bulgaria - Romania)

This tripartite collaboration between Greece, Bulgaria and Romania has been stabilized through annual summit meetings.  After the first Summit in Delphi (3rd and 4th October 1998) and the regular tripartite meetings of the Foreign Ministers, the second Summit was held in Borovetz (4th and 5th November 1999).  The last Summit was in Bucharest (18th and 19th April 2002).  The main issues discussed were the further strengthening of economic relations between the three countries, the speeding up of infrastructure development projects in the region, cooperation on combating terrorism and organized crime, as well as the promotion of security and stability in the region by reinforcing the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP).

 
Official Visits

The excellent political relations between the two countries have entered a new and dynamic phase with joint activities and regular exchanges of visits at the highest level. 

The official visits which have been conducted provide confirmation of the excellent level of bilateral relations:

-    The President of Bulgaria Mr. G. Purvanov to Greece (05-07/11/2003)

-    Working visit by Bulgarian Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Athens (31/10-01/11/2002) and attendance at the Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (13-17/08/2004).

-    The President of the Hellenic Republic, K. Stephanopoulos   to Bulgaria (11-13/10/2004)

-    Meeting between the two Presidents in Thesssaloniki (11/04/05)

-    Working visits by Foreign Minister, P. Molyviatis, accompanied by Deputy Foreign Ministers Valinakis and Stylianidis to Sofia (16/11/2004) confirm the excellent level of bilateral relations. The President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Karolos Papoulias, met with his Bulgarian counterpart, Mr. G. Purvanov, in Thessaloniki (11/4/2005), immediately upon taking office, and visited Bulgaria within the framework of the Regional Forum on Cultural Corridors in Southeast Europe, which took place in Varna (20-21/5/2005). Moreover, Public Order Minister Mr. Giorgos Voulgarakis paid a two-day visit to the country (19-20/5/2005) at the invitation of Bulgarias Minister of the Interior at the time, Mr. G. Petkanov.

Greece has contributed actively to Bulgarias accession to, whilst continuing to assist Bulgarias path towards E.U. accession. She intends to be one of the first countries to ratify the Accession Treaty of Bulgaria to the European Union after its signature in Luxembourg on 25^th April 2004.

IV. Economic Relations

V. Cultural Relations

- Major Greek Cultural Activities (recent):

Under the Greek-Bulgarian Cooperation Programme, close collaboration between the two countries continues undiminished across a broad spectrum of educational and cultural issues (collaboration between universities, exchanges of scientists, scholarships, seminars).  With the help of the Greek Ministry of Education a prize has been established for outstanding students in the Modern Greek Faculty at the Universities of Sofia and Plovdiv.  Also, for the 2004 Olympic Games, the Cultural Olympiad financed the organisation of a grand gala with Bulgarian and Greek performers. Language faculties for Modern Greek have been opened at the Bulgarian city universities and the G.S. RAKOVSKI National Defence Academy,

The Ministry of Culture has awarded 20.000 euros to the Sofia National History Museum and Sozopolis History Museum for excavation and publication work on Greek antiquities in the Apollonia region.  Finally, the Embassy library has been named the Stephan Getser Room in memory of the Bulgarian poet and philhellene, with a book published in his honour.

Bulgarian Olympic Gold winners Maria Grozdena (Shooting) and Milen Dobrev (Weightlifting) were made honorary citizens of Athens at an event organized by the Embassy (20.04.05). On July 1, 2005, within the framework of the Netherlands initiative Wall-to-wall painting, the unveiling of the Greek poetic wall was held with the poem Oso Boris (As much as you can), by K. Kavafis. 

- Greek Cultural Organisations:

The following cultural organisations are all active in Bulgaria:

• Sofia Hellenic Educational Society (housed in the Greek Embassy)
• Greek-Bulgarian Friendship Associations (Black Sea Federation of Greek-Bulgarian Associations)
• Federation of Cultural and Educational Sarakatsani Societies of Bulgaria
• Kostis Palamas Bulgarian Cultural Association of Neo-Hellenism
• Friends of Stephan Getser Society
• International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis, Bulgaria.

VI. The Greek Community

There are about 28,500 people of Greek descent and nationality in Bulgaria.  This includes 15.000 Sarakatsani, 2.500 former political refugees, 8.000 Old Greeks, 2.000 students and 1.000 businessmen and their families.