Bulgaria–United Kingdom relations

Bulgarian–British relations are foreign relations between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom.

Bulgarian–British relations

Bulgaria	United Kingdom
Diplomatic mission
Embassy of Bulgaria, London	Embassy of the United Kingdom, Sofia
Envoy
Ambassador Marin Raykov	Ambassador Rob Dixon

Overview

Both countries established diplomatic relations in July 1879 as Bulgaria achieved its independence from the Ottoman Empire. The two were enemies during World War I, most of World War II, and the Cold War.^[1][2]

Bulgaria has an embassy in London and the United Kingdom has an embassy in Sofia. Both countries are full members of NATO and the Council of Europe, with the United Kingdom giving full support to Bulgaria's applications to join NATO and the European Union. Following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union, trade between the United Kingdom and European Union members such as Bulgaria has been governed by the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement since 1 January 2021.^[3][4]

Royal visits to Bulgaria

• King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
  • 9 September 1936: Sofia
• The Duke of Edinburgh
  • October 1973: Varna
• The Prince of Wales
  • 6 – 8 November 1998: Sofia and Plovdiv
  • 13 – 14 March 2003: Sofia and Varna
• The Duke of York
  • 17–19 October 2001: Sofia
• The Earl of Wessex and The Countess of Wessex
  • 23 – 24 June 2013: Sofia
• The Duke of Kent
  • 7–9 April 2014: Sofia and Plovdiv
• Prince Michael of Kent
  • winter 1970
  • 18–20 May 2023: Sofia and Bachkovo Monastery

• 
  Embassy of Bulgaria in London
• 
  Embassy of the United Kingdom in Sofia

See also

• Foreign relations of Bulgaria
• Foreign relations of the United Kingdom
• Embassy of Bulgaria, London
• List of ambassadors of the United Kingdom to Bulgaria