On Kazakh-Bulgarian Relations
Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Bulgaria were established on 5 June 1992.
In 1994, the Embassy of Bulgaria in the Republic of Kazakhstan was opened.
In 2004, the Diplomatic Mission of Kazakhstan was opened and transformed into an Embassy on 18 July 2019.
Since 9 December 2022, V. Temirbayev is serving as an Ambassador of the Republic Kazakhstan to the Republic of Bulgaria.
Since 18 December 2025, G. Vodenski has been appointed as an Ambassador of the Republic Bulgaria to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
High-level contacts:
The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan visited Bulgaria once (official visit of N. Nazarbayev on 15-16 September 1999).
Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria visited Kazakhstan four times (official visit of Z. Zhelev on 23-31 July 1994; official visit of G. Parvanov on 25-27 September 2003; working visit of G. Parvanov on 1-2 December 2010 to participate in the OSCE Summit; official visit of R. Radev on 9 June 2025)
Vice Presidents of the Republic of Bulgaria visited Kazakhstan four times (visit of A. Marin on 10-11 January 2006 to participate in the inauguration of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan; participation of M. Popova on 27-31 August 2016 in the conference “Building a Nuclear-Weapon-Free World” and on 12-13 November 2018 in the 4th meeting of the Astana Club; working visit of
I. Yotova on 7-9 October 2019).
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Tokayev held a meeting with R. Radev on the margins of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York on 24 September 2019.
A Friendship Group with Bulgaria was established in the Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan of the VIII Convocation (Head – Y. Abil, Deputy Head – Y. Sairov). On 23 May 2025, a Friendship Group with Kazakhstan was also established in the 51st National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria (Chairperson – E. Anisova).
Protocol on the establishment of diplomatic and consular relations (Oslo,
5 June 1992).
Declaration on the development of friendly relations and cooperation (Sofia, 15 September 1999).
Convention between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria for the avoidance of double taxation with respect to taxes on income and capital (Almaty, 13 November 1997).
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria on the mutual promotion and protection of investments (Sofia, 15 September 1999).
Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Government of Bulgaria on economic cooperation (Astana, 3 October 2011).
Bilateral trade turnover in 2024 amounted to USD 379.3 million (3.9-fold increase): exports – USD 303.6 million (11.1-fold increase), imports – USD 75.7 million (+5.5%).
Trade turnover in 2025 amounted to USD 346 million (-8.8%), including exports of USD 278.6 million (-8.2%) and imports of USD 67.4 million (-11.6%).
From 2005 to the first quarter of 2025, the gross inflow of direct investments from Bulgaria to Kazakhstan reached USD 77.7 million, while the gross outflow of direct investments amounted to USD 13.8 million.
An important mechanism of interaction in the economic sphere is the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation (IGC). To date, five meetings of the IGC have been held (the first and second – before 2004, the third – in 2014, the fourth – in 2016, and the fifth – in 2025).
Based on memorandums, cooperation has been established between the administrations of the cities of Almaty and Varna (24 June 2004), Uralsk and Blagoevgrad (17 June 2016), Karaganda and Nesebar (5 July 2016), Pavlodar and Burgas (22 September 2022), Astana and Sofia (9 June 2025), and Shymkent and Plovdiv (9 June 2025).
The Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Culture dated 10 November 2015 serves as the basis for interaction in this sphere.
Three Kazakh cultural centres operate in Bulgaria.
Corners of Kazakh literature have been opened at the Sofia Central Library (in 2017) and at the National Library “St. St. Cyril and Methodius” (in 2022).
In honour of the 20th anniversary of the capital of Kazakhstan, one of the streets in Sofia was named “Astana”. The official opening ceremony took place on 28 December 2018.
In 2020, on the occasion of the 175th anniversary of A. Kunanbayev, a bas-relief of Abai was officially unveiled in the town of Sveti Vlas, while the Municipal Council of Varna decided to name one of the city’s streets “Abai”.
In 1995, the Bulgarian Ethnocultural Centre was established in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan. Numerous ethnocultural public associations are registered in the territory of Kazakhstan: “Vyara” in Aktobe Region, “Zlata” in Astana, “Slavyane” in Pavlodar Region, and “Vozrozhdenie” in Atyrau Region.
The Bulgarian branch of the K.B. Darzhuman School of National Revival operates successfully in Pavlodar Region.
Higher educational institutions of Kazakhstan and Bulgaria organise joint cooperation, thanks to which Kazakhstani students (59) study at Bulgarian universities in Sofia, Varna, Plovdiv, Burgas, Blagoevgrad, Ruse, and Stara Zagora.