Estonia and Bulgaria

Bilateral relations

Bulgaria recognised Estonia on 20 May 1921 and re-recognised Estonia on 26 August 1991. Diplomatic relations were restored on 10 September 1991.

After Estonia’s re-independence, Estonia has been represented in Bulgaria by Ambassadors Peeter Reštšinski (1999-2000), Aivo Orav (2001-2005) and Ants Frosch (2006-2007), who all resided in Warsaw. From April 2006 to October 2007, everyday business at the embassy was overseen by charge d’affaires Krista Kilvet.

The Estonian Embassy in Sofia was opened on 13 November 2006 during the visit of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip and closed on 31 July 2012. The first Estonian ambassador to reside in Sofia was Rein Oidekivi and the current Estonian ambassador to Bulgaria is Toomas Kukk, who presented his credentials on 20 October 2011. Toomas Kukk resides in Vilnius.

Bulgaria had an embassy in Tallinn from the fall of 2008 until the fall of 2011. Ambassador Petio Petev resided in Tallinn from 15 July 2009 to 1 October 2011. After the embassy in Tallinn was closed, Bulgaria started to cover Estonia from its embassy in Helsinki.

In September 2003, Estonia opened its first honorary consulate in Sofia. The consulate is led by entrepreneur Boris Halatchev. Bulgaria’s honorary consul in Estonia has been Heiki Kranich since May 2007.

A Bulgarian parliamentary group has not been formed in the new Riigikogu (during the previous Riigikogu there was a 9-member parliamentary group, led by chairman Jaanus Marrandi). The Bulgarian National Assembly, currently with its 41^st composition, has a 14-member Estonian friendship group led by Martin Dimitrov (Blue Coalition).

Visits

Agreements

• Agreement on International Transport of Passengers and Goods (came into force 12.08.99);
• Basic Agreement Between the Defence Ministries of Estonia and Bulgaria on Defence Related Co-operation (signed 20.06.00, in force as of signing);
• Agreement on the Abolishment of Visa Requirements (came into force 8.11.03);
• Agreement on Readmission of Persons (came into force 8.11.03);
• Culture and Education Co-operation Agreement (signed 1.03.04)
• Agreement for the Exchange and Mutual Protection of Classified Information (came into force 19.05.05);
• Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and on Capital (came into force 30.12.2008)

Economic Relations

TRADE

In looking at the trade statistics between Bulgaria and Estonia, it is clear that Bulgaria’s relative importance in Estonia’s foreign trade has been small and prior to the country’s accession to the EU remained stable at about 0.1% of total trade turnover. In both 2007 and 2008 trade with Bulgaria made up 0.04% of Estonia’s total foreign trade turnover.

According to Statistics Estonia, in 2011 the trade balance with Bulgaria was positive for Estonia by nearly 8 million euros; total turnover was 22.2 million euros. Estonia exported goods to Bulgaria valuing 15.1 million euros and imported goods with a total value of 7.1 million euros.

In the first half of 2012 trade with Bulgaria was positive for Estonia by 3 million euros; total turnover was 11.6 million euros. Estonian export to Bulgaria totalled 7.3 million euros and imports totalled 4.3 million euros.

Main export articles in first half of 2012:

• Gemstones, precious metals, jewellery – 56.3%
• Machinery and mechanical equipment – 11.9%
• Transportation vehicles – 6.1%
• Animal products – 5.0%
• Plastic and rubber products – 3.9%

Main import articles in first half of 2012:

• Gemstones, precious metals, jewellery – 48%
• Machinery and mechanical equipment – 18.9%
• Textiles – 8.9%
• Plant products – 3.8%
• Prepared food and drink products – 3.6%

All economic figures originate from the Statistical Office of Estonia

INVESTMENTS

According to Bank of Estonia data, as of 30 June 2012 Estonian direct investments in Bulgaria were worth 48.3 million euros (1.3% of Estonia’s total direct investments) and Bulgaria’s direct investment position in Estonia was -10.5 million euros (-0.1% of foreign direct investments in Estonia). Estonian investors have directed their resources primarily to 1) real estate activity – 31%, 2)financial intermediation – 16%, but also to construction, wholesale and retail trade, and professional, research and technical activity. Bulgarian investments in Estonia were primarily divided between real estate activity, financial and insurance activity, and wholesale and retail trade.

According to the business registry, as of 29 February 2012 there were 21 enterprises with Bulgarian participation working in Estonia, of which 13 function on 100% Bulgarian capital. In the fall of 2008 there were 128 businesses with Estonian participation registered in Bulgaria.

TOURISM

Bulgaria’s popularity as a destination for Estonians has steadily increased. In 2011 two travel agencies in Estonia, Novatours and Fiji Travel, arranged for approximately 5 000 people to travel on direct flights from Tallinn to the Black Sea towns of Varna and Burgas.  The number of Estonian tourists travelling to Bulgaria independently has also risen significantly. In 2011 1 668 Bulgarian tourists were housed in Estonian accommodation establishments (most stopped in Tallinn; the second most popular destination was Tartu); in the first seven months of 2012 the number is 1 103 tourists (most stayed in Tallinn with the second most popular place being East-Viru County).

Culture and Education

Due to the geographical distance between them, cultural relations between Estonia and Bulgaria have been more modest than both of their relations with close neighbours. However, within the past decade reciprocal interest in each others’ cultural heritage and in intensifying bilateral contacts has increased.

From the viewpoint of bilateral relations, one important fact that deserves mentioning is that 30 years ago the Bulgarian language began to be taught in Estonia. The seeds for this were sown by translator and pedagogue Lubomir Zanev, who in 1981 began teaching Bulgarian at what was then Tallinn Pedagogical University. Today it is possible to study Bulgarian as an elective in the Slavic Languages and Cultures Institute at Tallinn University.

Estonian literature, including childrens’ books, has been translated into Bulgarian fairly extensively in the past. Eno Raud’s “Naksitrallid” is very well-known and loved among schoolchildren in Bulgaria. Estonian poetry has recently been translated by Zdravko Kissiov (Kaplinski, Traat, Puu, and others), and in 2009 the President of the Republic recognised his work with the Order of the Cross of Terra Marianna 4th class. Another prolific translator of Estonian literature is Dora Janeva-Mednikova, who has in recent years put the works of Anton Hansen-Tammsaare, Betti Alver, and Erni Krusten into Bulgarian. In June of 2008 an “Estonian poetry wall” was opened at 5 Serdika Street in downtown Sofia with a Jaan Kaplinski poem in Estonian, Bulgarian and English. It is part of the joint project of EU embassies located in Sofia and EU candidate states called “Wall-to-Wall Poetry”, which has the goal of introducing Europe’s values and bringing them to the people.

Estonian artists have participated in triennials and biennials occurring in Bulgaria. In 2010 contemporary Estonian architecture and urban design were introduced during Sofia Architecture Week. Estonian photography has been positively received. On the initiative of the Plovdiv Photography Centre, the portrait photos of Toomas Volkmann were exhibited at the international photo exhibit “International Meetings of Photography” in October of 2010. Estonia films have consistently been represented in the Nordic film festival “Nordic Lights” that takes place in April. In June 2011 director Jaak Kilmi introduced Estonia’s new documentary filmmaking at the Red House in Sofia. The film “Georg” was screened in July 2011 at the film festival “Europe Cinema Review”. In co-operation with the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, the Finnish and Hungarian embassies and the Hungarian Cultural Institute, a joint exhibit by four Finno-Ugric artists became a reality in the summer of 2011. Estonia was represented by the graphic sheets of Jüri Arrak and the paintings of Ivi Arrak.

In the late fall of 2010 the Estonian National Museum’s glove exhibit “Käevarjud” was met with great interest and a warm reception; it was supplemented by a display of socks from the collection of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies.

Various musical collectives from Bulgaria have participated in different Estonian festivals, including Viljandi Folk, Paide Shanty, the Credo Festival of Orthodox Music, and the Keila Folkdance Festival. Bulgarian films have also been shown during PÖFF.

Share and enjoy!

del.icio.us Facebook Google Twitter