Indo-Bulgarian ties have traditionally been close and friendly. Diplomatic relations were established in 1954. Exchange of high level visits from time to time between the two countries has provided momentum to consolidate and broad base the bilateral ties. High level visits to Bulgaria from India were by Vice-President Dr. S. Radhakrishnan (1954), PM Indira Gandhi (1967), President V.V. Giri (1976), President Sanjiva Reddy (1980), PM Indira Gandhi (1981), Vice President R. Venkataraman (1985), President S. D. Sharma (1994), Vice President Krishan Kant (2000) and President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (2003). From the Bulgarian side, their Presidents, Mr. Todor Zhivkov in 1976 and 1983 and Mr. Peter Stoyanov in 1998, and Prime Ministers, Mr. Stanko Todorov in 1974 and 1980 and Mr. Sergei Stanishev in 2007 visited India. There are regular high level parliamentary contacts between the two countries. The last exchange of parliamentary delegation between the two countries were: a Parliamentary Delegation led by Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Somnath Chatterjee to Bulgaria in June 2008 and a parliamentary delegation, led by President of the National Assembly Mrs. Tsetska Tsacheva to India in November 2011. Bulgarian Parliament traditionally constitutes a Parliamentary Group for Friendship with India.
