The Bulgarian National Minority in Ukraine in Bulgaria-Ukraine Relations: The Impact on Ukraine’s Image in Bulgaria

Abstract

The article deals with the issues of observance of the rights of the Bulgarian national minority in Ukraine as an element of forming a positive image of Ukraine in Bulgaria. The issue of the rights and freedoms of ethnic Bulgarians in Bessarabia first arose in the bilateral relations between the Ukrainian people’s Republic and the Kingdom of Bulgaria after the establishment of diplomatic relations in accordance with the Ukraine-Bulgaria Supplementary Treaty of 12 February 1918. The informational explanation of the UNR’s open policy on national minorities immediately became an integral part of the activities of the first Ukrainian diplomatic mission in Sofia. Ethnic Bulgarians won the right to revive the study of their native language, history, and identity only after the restoration of Ukraine’s independence in 1991. In particular, the non-governmental sector has played a significant role in shaping Bulgaria’s state policy towards foreign Bulgarians. The article analyses the existing Ukraine-Bulgaria agreements that regulate relations between Ukraine and Bulgaria in the issue of the rights of Bulgarian and Ukrainian citizens of Ukrainian origin, as well as the legislative framework of Bulgaria in the field of state policy towards foreign Bulgarians. Despite the sensitivity of the Bulgarian society to the topic of foreign Bulgarians in Ukraine, which was and still is their largest and oldest historical Diaspora, the guarantee of the rights of ethnic, linguistic, cultural and religious identity of persons of Bulgarian nationality and Ukrainian nationality is enshrined in the Ukrainian-Bulgarian international treaties. The article highlights the impact of the issue of the Bulgarian national minority on the political dialogue between Ukraine and Bulgaria. Special attention is paid to the issues of ensuring the language rights of Ukrainian ethnic Bulgarians in the context of recent changes in Ukrainian legislation. Keywords: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Ukraine-Bulgaria relations, rights of the national Bulgarian minority, positive image of Ukraine.