Relationship dossier
Bulgaria
Iraq
Relationship assessment
Bulgaria’s military role in Iraq shaped ties; direct Iraqi government policy toward Bulgaria is less clear.
Bulgaria toward Iraq
-20Bulgaria joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and deployed troops as part of the multinational force, maintaining a contingent until its withdrawal in 2008. The deployment combined participation in military intervention with a later stabilization role.
Iraq toward Bulgaria
Not assessedOverall relationship
Not assessedHow 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
Bulgaria joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 and later maintained troops there as part of the multinational force, withdrawing its contingent in 2008. This military role weighs against the relationship, although the contingent also served during the post-invasion stabilization period. Specific Iraqi government conduct toward Bulgaria is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Bulgaria’s participation in the 2003 invasion and subsequent multinational military presence in Iraq.
Key developments
Bulgaria joined the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.
Bulgaria withdrew its military contingent from Iraq.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct Iraqi government cooperation with Bulgaria during and after the multinational force deployment is unclear.
- The scope and implementation of bilateral civilian and economic cooperation are unclear.