India–Bulgaria Ties: New Momentum in Trade, Technology and Strategic Cooperation

New Delhi and Sofia broaden their partnership, with the India–EU FTA, AI, space and defence emerging as key areas of cooperation

India and Bulgaria are seeking to give fresh momentum to their bilateral partnership, with trade, investment, emerging technologies and strategic cooperation featuring prominently in the latest round of diplomatic consultations.

The seventh round of India–Bulgaria Foreign Office Consultations was held in New Delhi on October 1, 2026. The talks were co-chaired by Sibi George, Secretary (West) in India’s Ministry of External Affairs, and Christo Polendakov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. Both sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations, including political engagement, trade and investment, science and technology, artificial intelligence, space, defence and people-to-people ties.

A key focus was the early implementation of the India–European Union Free Trade Agreement, which India and Bulgaria see as an important opportunity to strengthen economic and commercial engagement. As an EU member, Bulgaria can form an important link in India’s broader economic engagement with European markets.

The consultations also highlighted the changing character of India–Bulgaria relations. Cooperation is expanding beyond traditional diplomatic and commercial areas into artificial intelligence, space, science and technology and defence. These sectors offer scope for collaboration as both countries look to build partnerships around emerging technologies and innovation.

People-to-people relations remain another important dimension of the partnership, providing a foundation for broader engagement in education, culture, business and professional exchanges.

The timing of the consultations is also significant. In September, Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Polendakov discussed with India’s Ambassador to Bulgaria, Arun Kumar Sahu, opportunities to expand cooperation in technology, innovation, investment, trade, science, education, AI and space. The discussions reflected a growing interest in developing practical areas of cooperation.

For India and Bulgaria, the relationship offers an opportunity to connect bilateral cooperation with the wider India–EU partnership. As Europe seeks stronger economic and technological partnerships, and India expands its engagement with European countries, the space for cooperation is widening.

The latest consultations therefore underline a partnership that is becoming increasingly multidimensional—linking trade with technology, diplomacy with innovation, and bilateral ties with the broader India–EU relationship.

Both sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest, reinforcing the role of regular diplomatic dialogue in sustaining the relationship.