Today, the 8th of May of 2020, Bulgaria and Spain celebrate the 110th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. To commemorate it, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of each country, Ekaterina Zaharieva and Arancha González Laya, have made two respective videos, that you can see on the Facebook page of the Spanish Embassy in Sofia.

On the 8th of May of 1910, diplomatic relations were established between Bulgaria and Spain. In October 1915, Spain opened its first diplomatic delegation in Sofia, and in 1933 Bulgaria opened its first representation in Madrid. In that year was also signed the first Bilateral Friendship Treaty between the two countries. From 1989 the most fruitful period of the relations begins, and now both countries are members of the European Union and NATO.

Some figures:

Currently, 215.000 Bulgarians are living in Spain, a figure that increases by 5.000 residents each year. In Bulgaria, more than 21.000 students learn Spanish so it’s the second most taught language in the balkan country. There are 14 sections of Spanish in Bulgarian public schools, and 150 high schools that teach Spanish language. Also, the “Cervantes Institute”, an institution to promote the Spanish language and culture, was established in Sofia in 2006.

Click here to see the video of Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva.

Click here to see the video of Minister Arancha González Laya.

Info: Spanish Embassy in Sofia.

Marta Valverde.