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June 5, 1992 |
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diplomatic relations were established between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Bulgaria. |
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in January 1994 |
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the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in the Republic of Kazakhstan was opened. |
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April 5, 2004 |
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the Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Bulgaria was opened. |
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July 18, 2019 |
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By the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Tokayev №69 the Diplomatic Mission of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Sofia has been reorganized into the Embassy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Bulgaria. |
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From February 27, 2020 |
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the Ambassador of Bulgaria to Kazakhstan is Boyan Hadjiev. |
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From December 9, 2022 |
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the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Bulgaria is Viktor Temirbayev. |
Political dialogue
Contacts at the highest level:
The First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan visited Bulgaria once (a state visit on September 15-16, 1999).
The Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria visited Kazakhstan 3 times (Zh. Zhelev – once, on July 23-31, 1993 with an official visit; G.Parvanov – twice, on September 25-27, 2003 with official visit and on December 1-2, 2010 in order to participate in the OSCE Summit).
The Vice-presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria visited Kazakhstan 4 times (A.Marin – on January 10-11, 2006 in order to participate in the inauguration of the President of Kazakhstan; M.Popova – on August 27-31, 2016 in order to participate in the conference «Building a world without nuclear weapons» and on November 12-13, 2018, in order to participate in the 4th meeting of Astana Club; I.Iotova – on October 7-9, 2019 with a working visit).
In addition, the Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan held meetings with Bulgarian leaders «on the sidelines» of multilateral events:
The First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan with P.Stoyanov at the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 30, 1998; G.Parvanov - during participation in the Salzburg Economic Summit of Central and Eastern Europe in July 1999 and the UN Session on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg on September 3, 2002;
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Tokayev: with R.Radev at the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on September 24, 2019.
High-level contacts (2018-2022):
February 27, 2018 – bilateral meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Abdrakhmanov and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria E.Zakharieva in the framework of the Kazakhstan – EU Cooperation Council in Brussels.
December 6-7, 2018 – bilateral meeting between of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan K.Abdrakhmanov and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria E.Kraleva in the framework of the OSCE Ministerial Council in Milan.
May 12-14, 2019 – visit of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of Kazakhstan G.Nurdauletov to Bulgaria.
June 7-10, 2019 – working visit of the Chairman of the CEC of the Republic of Bulgaria S.Stoeva to Kazakhstan in order to participate as observer in presidential elections.
December 16, 2019 – bilateral meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.Tileuberdi and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria E.Zakharieva at the 14th meeting of the ASEM Council of Ministers in Madrid.
October 8, 2020 – bilateral meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.Tileuberdi and Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Belarus E.Zakharieva «on the sidelines» of the Forum «Globsec» in Bratislava.
Inter-parliamentary cooperation
A Parliamentary Friendship Group with Bulgaria, consisting of 16 deputies, has been formed in the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the 7th Convocation. Its head is A.Konurov, deputy - G.Tashkaraev.
Following the results of the early parliamentary elections on October 2, 2022, the Bulgarian side has not formed a similar friendship group with Kazakhstan yet.
Visits to Bulgaria:
- Chairman of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.Ospanov (October 1996);
- Delegation of deputies of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (November 2012);
- Delegation of deputies of the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan (June and November 2008, April 2009).
Visits to Kazakhstan:
- Chairman of the People 's Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria T.Tsacheva (November 2015);
- Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria P.Beron (August 2007), G. Pirinski (August 2012), V.Zhablyanov (November 2017) and V.Mareshki (November 2019);
- Members of the National Assembly (December 2005, may 2009, may 2012, June 2016, June 2019);
- Facilitator of the short head of the OSCE mission K.Vigenin to participate as a foreign observer of the parliamentary elections in the Republic of Kazakhstan (January 2021).
Key agreements
Declaration on the further development of friendly relations and cooperation between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Bulgaria. Sofia, September 15, 1999. Entered into force from the date of signing.
Joint statement of the Presidents of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Bulgaria on the further development of relations. Astana, September 25, 2003. Valid from the date of signing.
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria on mutual promotion and protection of investments. Sofia, September 15, 1999. Entered into force on August 20, 2001.
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria on mutual protection of classified information. Astana, June 1, 2011. Entered into force on October 11, 2011.
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of Bulgaria on economic cooperation. Astana, October 3, 2011. Entered into force on September 13, 2012.
Multilateral cooperation
Bulgaria supported Kazakhstan's chairmanship in the OSCE in 2010, WTO membership, the holding of the international exhibition «EXPO-2017» and joining the non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2017-2018.
In 2015, 2018 and 2021, during the voting for Kazakhstan's initiative on the «Universal Declaration on Building a World Free of Nuclear Weapons», Bulgaria, despite the general policy guidelines of the NATO doctrine on nuclear deterrence, abstained during the voting process on the adoption of this resolution.
On November 7, 2019, Bulgaria noted the progress of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the protection of fundamental human rights and freedoms during the defense of the 3rd National Report of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the implementation of international obligations in the field of human rights at the 34th session of the Working Group of the Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council.
In 2020-2022, Bulgaria provided its support on the following initiatives:
- Kazakhstan's entry into the «Missile Technology Control Regime»;
- support for the candidacy of the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Sweden K.Abdrakhmanov for the post of OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities;
- Kazakhstan's accession to the UN Economic and Social Council for 2022-2024;
- Kazakhstan's accession to the Eastern European Group of the IAEA;
- support of the candidacy of M.Ergebekov to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for 2021-2024;
- accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Council of Postal Operations of the UPU 2021-2024;
- accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to 7 Conventions of the Council of Europe in the field of criminal justice.
- support for the candidacy of the Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan A.Shakirov for the post of Deputy Chairman of the OSCE PA;
- support of the candidacy of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the UN Human Rights Council for 2022-2024;
- support for the candidacy of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the UNESCO WHC for 2023-2027;
- support for the candidacy of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Director of the State Radio Frequency Service R.Nurshabekov – to the Radio Regulatory Committee of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for 2023-2026.
In addition, the Bulgarian side, in general, supports the need to solve the problem of «homeless states», i.e. those that are members of the IAEA and are not members of any of the Agency's regional groups.
Kazakhstan, for its part, in 2018 supported Bulgaria's entry into the UN Human Rights Council for 2019-2021; and in August 2019, the candidacy of the Minister of Sports of the Republic of Bulgaria K.Kraleva for the post of representative of Europe in the Executive Committee of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
In addition, the Kazakhstani side provided support to the:
- Bulgaria's membership in the UN Economic and Social Council for 2021-2023;
- Velina Todorova's candidacy as a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for 2021-2025.;
- Bulgaria's membership in the Council of Postal Operations of the UPU for 2021-2024;
- candidacy of Genoveva Tisheva for re-election as a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for the period 2023-2026;
- candidacy of Bulgaria in the UNESCO WHC for 2021-2025.
- Bulgaria's candidacy for the Intergovernmental Committee for the Protection of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of UNESCO for 2022-2026;
- Bulgaria's candidacy for the ITU Council for 2023-2026;
- Bulgaria's candidacy for the UN Women Executive Council for 2023-2025;
- Bulgaria's candidacy for the UNICEF Executive Council for 2023-2025.