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 Bulgaria |  Croatia |
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Bulgaria and Croatia established diplomatic relations on August 13, 1992. [1] [2] Bulgaria has had an embassy in Zagreb since 1994. [2] Croatia has had an embassy in Sofia since 1992. [2] Both countries are full members of the European Union and NATO.
In the 9th and 10th centuries, when Bulgaria and Croatia shared a border, the two countries fought in the Croatian–Bulgarian wars. In the Middle Ages, there was commerce between the Bulgarian Empire and the Republic of Ragusa. [3]
In the late 19th and early 20th century, there were strong Bulgarian-Croatian relations in politics, culture, education and sport. Stjepan Radić, one of the most prominent Croatian politicians of the era, wrote in his 1917 book that of all Slavs, Bulgarians were closest to Croats. Bulgarian-Croatian relations suffered in the pre-World War II Yugoslav state (1918–1941), ruled by the Karađorđević dynasty, due to earlier conflicts between Bulgaria and Serbia. [4]
The Kingdom of Bulgaria was one of the first countries to recognize the Independent State of Croatia. The Bulgarian embassy in Zagreb operated from 1941 to 1944. [4] The Croatian Embassy in Sofia operated from 1941 to 1944. But even after 1944, the friendly relations between the MPO - the organization of the Bulgarian Macedonian emigration, closely related to Ivan Mihailov's VMRO, and the Croatian clerical nationalist emigration continued, as they mutually fought against Tito's Yugoslavia for decades - including rejecting the Macedonian nation and language newly created by Yugoslavia after WWII. [5] [6]
For the rest of the period prior to 1992, there had been no special crisis or event that required bilateral diplomacy from Croatians and Bulgarians as self-representing nations. However, as two South Slavic nations in relatively close proximity, both nations have been party to some form of diplomatic mission throughout the centuries, whether between the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice (which controlled Croatia's coastal region for some centuries), or during the 20th century when Croatia had been part of Yugoslavia and various attempts were made from within Yugoslavia and Bulgaria to incorporate Bulgaria into the Pan-South Slavic nation.[ citation needed ]
Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007. Croatia joined the EU in 2013. Bulgaria joined NATO in 2004. Croatia joined NATO in 2009. Bulgaria fully supported Croatia's application to join NATO, which resulted in membership on 1 April 2009, and then the European Union, which resulted in membership on 1 July 2013.
The foreign relations of Croatia is primarily formulated and executed via its government which guides the state's interactions with other nations, their citizens, and foreign organizations. Active in global affairs since the 9th century, modern Croatian diplomacy is considered to have formed following their independence from Yugoslavia in 1991. As an independent state, Croatia established diplomatic relations with most world nations – 187 states in total – during the 1990s, starting with Germany (1991) and ending most recently with Togo (2023). Croatia has friendly relations with most of its neighboring countries, namely Slovenia, Hungary, Montenegro, Albania, and Italy. They maintain colder, more tense relations with Serbia as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina due to historic nation-building conflict and differing political ideologies.
The foreign relations of North Macedonia since its independence in 1991 have been characterized by the country's efforts to gain membership in international organizations such as NATO and the European Union and to gain international recognition under its previous constitutional name, overshadowed by a long-standing, dead-locked dispute with neighboring Greece. Greek objections to the country's name had led to it being admitted to the United Nations and several other international fora only under the provisional designation Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until its official and erga omnes renaming to North Macedonia, a name under which it is now universally recognised.
The existence and distinctiveness of the Macedonian language is disputed in Bulgaria and the name of the language was disputed by Greece. By signing the Prespa Agreement, Greece accepted the name "Macedonian language" in reference to the official language of North Macedonia.
The use of the country name "Macedonia" was disputed between Greece and the Republic of Macedonia between 1991 and 2019. The dispute was a source of instability in the Western Balkans for 25 years. It was resolved through negotiations between the two countries, mediated by the United Nations, resulting in the Prespa Agreement, which was signed on 17 June 2018. Pertinent to its background is an early 20th-century multifaceted dispute and armed conflict that formed part of the background to the Balkan Wars. The specific naming dispute, although an existing issue in Yugoslav–Greek relations since World War II, was reignited after the breakup of Yugoslavia and the newly-gained independence of the former Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1991. Since then, it was an ongoing issue in bilateral and international relations until it was settled with the Prespa agreement in June 2018, the subsequent ratification by the Macedonian and Greek parliaments in late 2018 and early 2019 respectively, and the official renaming of Macedonia to North Macedonia in February 2019.
Relations between Bulgaria and the United States were first formally established in 1903, have moved from missionary activity and American support for Bulgarian independence in the late 19th century to the growth of trade and commerce in the early 20th century, to reluctant hostility during World War I and open war and bombardment in World War II, to ideological confrontation during the Cold War, to partnership with the United States in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and growing political, military and economic ties in the beginning of the 21st century.
World War II in Yugoslav Macedonia started with the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941. Under the pressure of the Yugoslav Partisan movement, part of the Macedonian communists began in October 1941 a political and military campaign to resist the occupation of Vardar Macedonia. Officially, the area was called then Vardar Banovina, because the use of very name Macedonia was avoided in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was occupied mostly by Bulgarian, but also by German, Italian, and Albanian forces.
The history of Macedonians has been shaped by population shifts and political developments in the southern Balkans, especially within the region of Macedonia. The ideas of separate Macedonian identity grew in significance after the First World War, both in Vardar and among the left-leaning diaspora in Bulgaria, and were endorsed by the Comintern. During the Second World War, these ideas were supported by the Communist Partisans, but the decisive point in the ethnogenesis of these South Slavic people was the creation of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia after World War II, as a new state in the framework of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
The Bulgarians in Albania live mostly in the areas of Mala Prespa, Gollobordë and Gora. Ethnic identity can be fluid among Albania's Slavophonic population, who might identify as Albanian, Bulgarian or Macedonian, depending on the circumstances. Between 2001 and 2016, around 4,470 Albanian nationals applied for a Bulgarian citizenship and over 2,600 of them were granted one. The Bulgarian minority was recognized by the Albanian government in October 2017. In the 2023 Albania census, 7,057 people declared themselves to be Bulgarians making them the largest Slavophone population in Albania.
Croatia and Germany established diplomatic relations on 15 January 1992. Croatia has an embassy in Berlin and five consulates general in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart. Germany has an embassy in Zagreb and an honorary consulate in Split.
The foreign relations between Croatia and Slovenia are bound together by shared history, neighboring geography and common political ideologies. Both states established diplomatic relations in 1992, following the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the independence of Croatia. Modern relations are warm and friendly. The two states have disputes over their border and sovereign rights over certain nuclear and economic assets. The countries share 670 km (420 mi) of common border. They are perennially each other's largest trading partners on an import-export basis.
The foreign relations of Bulgaria are overseen by the Ministry of Foreign Relations headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Situated in Southeast Europe, Bulgaria is a member of both NATO and the European Union. It maintains diplomatic relations with 183 countries.
The Independent State of Macedonia was a proposed puppet state of Nazi Germany during the Second World War in the territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia that had been occupied by the Kingdom of Bulgaria following the invasion of Yugoslavia in April 1941.
Croatian–Dutch are foreign relations between Croatia and Netherlands. Both countries established diplomatic relations on April 23, 1992. Croatia has an embassy in The Hague. The Netherlands have an embassy in Zagreb and 3 honorary consulates . Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, European Union and NATO. Netherlands joined the EU as a founding member state, and Croatia joined the EU in 2013. The Netherlands has given full support to Croatia's membership in the European Union and NATO.
Croatia-Finland relations are foreign relations between Croatia and Finland. Finland recognised The Independent State of Croatia on 2 July 1941. Finland broke off diplomatic relations on 20 September 1944. Finland re-recognised Croatia on 17 January 1992. Both countries re-established diplomatic relations on 19 February 1992. Croatia has an embassy in Helsinki. Finland has an embassy in Zagreb. Both countries are full members of the Council of Europe, European Union, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and NATO.
The foreign relations between Albania and Croatia are bound together by shared history, neighboring geography and common political ideologies. Both states established diplomatic relations in 1992, following the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the independence of Croatia. They have historically shared a special relationship due to their convergent nation-building efforts. Modern relations are warm and friendly.
Czechoslovakia–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, both of which are now-defunct states. Czechoslovakia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes were both created as union states of smaller Slavic ethnic groups. Both were created after the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, itself a multinational empire unable to appease its Slavic populations or implement a trialist reform in its final years.
Israel–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Israel and now split-up Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Positive initial relations between the two states were subsequently negatively affected by the Arab–Israeli conflict and close relations between Yugoslavia and some Arab states, particularly Yugoslav relations with Egypt. Despite cancelation of the formal relations after the Six-Day War informal, commercial and cultural exchanges continued throughout the Cold War period.
Greece–Yugoslavia relations were historical foreign relations between Greece and now split-up Yugoslavia. Relations between Greece and independent South Slavic states developed before the creation of Yugoslavia and played a prominent role during the Balkan Wars. The creation of Yugoslavia was agreed to and made possible after the signing of the Corfu Declaration at the Municipal Theatre of Corfu.
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