Relationship dossier
Belarus
Bulgaria
Relationship assessment
Political tensions shaped by Belarus-related EU sanctions and Belarus’s designation of Bulgaria as an unfriendly state.
Belarus toward Bulgaria
-35Belarus included Bulgaria among the states it characterized as unfriendly, amid a broader confrontation with the European Union. The practical effects of this designation on bilateral relations are unclear.
Bulgaria toward Belarus
-35Bulgaria has supported European Union measures against Belarus in response to political repression and has aligned with EU pressure for political change and the release of detainees.
Overall relationship
-35The relationship is marked by political confrontation linked to Belarus’s domestic repression and its disputes with the European Union. Bulgaria’s support for EU measures and Belarus’s designation of Bulgaria as an unfriendly state are concrete signs of strain; the breadth of bilateral cooperation beyond these issues is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Relations have been strained by Belarus’s political repression and the Belarusian government’s confrontation with the European Union. Bulgaria has supported EU measures against Belarus, while Belarus included Bulgaria among states it characterized as unfriendly. These actions indicate significant political tension, though the scope of other bilateral cooperation is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Bulgaria’s support for EU sanctions and pressure on Belarus over political repression.
- Belarus’s designation of Bulgaria among states it characterized as unfriendly.
Key developments
Bulgaria supported EU measures against Belarus amid the government’s crackdown on opposition and civil society.
Belarus included Bulgaria among states it characterized as unfriendly.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of bilateral trade and other government cooperation is unclear.
- The extent to which Belarus’s measures against states it labeled unfriendly affected Bulgaria is unclear.