Political relations
There is a highly developed and intensive bilateral political dialogue with the Republic of Bulgaria. The year 2019 marked the 140th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations. The Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Kiril Petkov conducted an official visit to the Republic of Serbia on 8 February 2022. The President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev payed a working visit to Dimitrovgrad on 23 May 2021. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia Nikola Selaković conducted an official visit to Sofia on 19 and 20 January 2021. The President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić conducted a working visit to the Republic of Bulgaria on 1 June 2020. The former Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria Boyko Borissov conducted working visits to the Republic of Serbia on 9 November 2019, as well as 15 February 2019, receiving the Order of the Republic of Serbia on a ribbon from the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić for exceptional merit in developing and solidifying the peaceful cooperation and friendly relations between the two countries. The former Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia Maja Gojković conducted an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria on 10-12 September 2018. The President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rumen Radev conducted an official visit to the Republic of Serbia on 21-22 June 2018. The President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić conducted an official visit to the Republic of Bulgaria on 23 February 2018.
Economic relations
Economic relations between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Bulgaria are based on trade exchange, with important areas of cooperation including energy, transport, infrastructure and tourism.
Regarding the volume of trade, the Republic of Bulgaria is on the list of Serbia’s most important partners. During the period January-July 2022, the Republic of Bulgaria was the 15th most important foreign trade partner of the Republic of Serbia, with total trade exchange amounting to 949,3 million euros. During that period, exports from the Republic of Serbia amounted to 494,8 million euros and imports from the Republic of Bulgaria amounted to 454,6 million euros. During 2021 trade exchange reached record level of 1.3 billion euros, with exports from the Republic of Serbia amounting to 701,4 million euros, while imports from the Republic of Bulgaria amounted to 599,7 million euros. During 2020 trade exchange amounted to 953 million euros, with exports from the Republic of Serbia amounting to 545 million euros and imports from the Republic of Bulgaria amounting to 408 million euros.
During the period from 2010 and concluding with first quarter of 2022, an inflow was registered based on investments by Bulgarian residents into the Republic of Serbia to the amount of 273,8 million euros, whereby the Republic of Bulgaria takes 18th place on the list of countries with the highest investments into the Republic of Serbia during the above period.
Bilateral agreements
There are 89 bilateral agreements in force with the Republic of Bulgaria, the most important being:
- Agreement between the Federal Government of FRY and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria on mutual road transport of passengers and goods, signed on: 25 July 2002.
- Agreement on economic cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, signed on: 30 November 2007.
- Agreement between the Republic of Serbia and the Republic of Bulgaria on social security, signed on: 19 September 2011.
- Memorandum of Understanding for the construction of the gas interconnector project Bulgaria - Serbia between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, signed on: 19 January 2017.
- Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria on cooperation in the field of protection from natural and other disasters, signed on: 25 July 2019.
Contact information
Link to the Embassy of the Republic of Serbia in Sofia: http://sofia.mfa.gov.rs/cir/
Link to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Belgrade: https://www.mfa.bg/bg/embassyinfo/serbia
Department for Neighbouring Countries and South-Eastern European Countries of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Serbia: Tel. +381 11 306 8280, e-mail: osz@mfa.rs