2. The year 1878, more exactly the end of the Russian-Romanian- Turkish war (1877-1878), surely represented a decisive historical moment for the South-East Europe and the Balkans’ area, which has influenced their strategic evolution up to the present.

3. They have recounted the events that led to the diminishing of the Turkish domination in the Balkans’ area, and allowed Bulgaria to appear on the European map as a modern state.

4. The union of the Romanian states in 1859 represented the landmark for creating the Romanian national unitary state.

5. During that historical period, Romania and Bulgaria went to war together against the Turkish dominion and they were also a real help for the other Balkan people dominated by the Turkish.

6. The Turkish Gate had denied Romania the right to issue its own money, to award decorations, as well as the right to bear the name Romania, which would have meant that it would have allowed it to create an army and to allow the organization of Bulgarian and Serbian small armies on its territory.

7. The Romanian support lasted for a long time. The political leaders and the population offered asylum to Bulgarian emigrants, gave them permission to create organizations, such as The Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee in Bucharest, offered them examples of cultural development, published the Bulgarian goals in the Romanian newspapers to make them known to the whole Europe.

8. Romania supports Bulgaria at the Turkish Gate. Later on, Romania openly protested against the situation in Bulgaria on 20th July 1873 in front of the Great Powers and exposed the difficulties that the Bulgarian people had to face. The big newspapers offered blood curling details about the massacres that took place in Bulgaria and in Romania.

10. Then came Romania’s declaration of war against the Turkish Empire, which was a result of a tense situation all along the Danube line. The Independence was declared on 9th May 1877, when the Deputies’ Assembly proclaimed the independence of the country.

12. On 23rd January 1878 The Turkish Empire asked for a truce which was signed at Kazanlic. Romania took part in the war with an army of 58700 people and 190 modern canons. More than 10 000 people died.

14. With the Russian-Turkish Treaty at San Stefano, near Constantinople, on 19 February 1878 Romania, Serbia and Muntenegru were recognized as independent states, Bulgaria became autonomous and Bosnia and Hertzegovina became administratively autonomous.

15. Romanian-Bulgarian Relations. 8.000 to 30.000 Bulgarians live in Romania and about 11 000 Romanians live in Bulgaria.

16. Both countries are full members of NATO and the European Union. There is a common border between them of 608 km, most of it along the Danube.

17. The diplomatic relations between Romania and Bulgaria have been established in 1879 at the level of a Bureau of Diplomatic Representative. Later on it became a consulate and after 1944 it became embassy.

18. On 30.11.2006, the total of commercial exchange between Romania and Bulgaria was of $1261.6 mil

19. In Romania there are 608 Romanian-Bulgarian companies, which total an invested capital of $11.2mil

20. The Romanian investments in Bulgaria rate up to $10mil, represented by 36 mixed companies and Romanian offices, 9 of which have got Romanian capital.

21. The main bilateral conventions (after 1990) Treaty of good vicinity, friendship and cooperation between Romania and Bulgaria. (Sofia, 27th January 1992);

22. Convention regarding avoiding double taxation and fighting against fiscal evasion (Bucharest, 1st June 1994); Cultural agreement between the Governs of Romania and that of Bulgaria (Sofia, July 1996);

23. Declaration of the Governs of Romania and that of Bulgaria regarding the building of the bridge crossing the Danube at Calafat - Vidin (Bucharest, 27th March, 2000);

24. Program of cooperation in the domain of protecting the environment between the ministry of Waters, Forests and Protection of the Environment of Romania and that in Bulgaria for the period 2000-2005 (Sviștov, 9th September 2000);

25. Agreement between the Governs of Romania and that of Bulgaria regarding cooperation in the struggle against organized crime, traffic of drugs, terrorism and other crimes (Sofia, 9th July, 2002); Agreement of cooperation in the energetic domain between the Ministry of Industry and Resources of Romania and that of Bulgaria (Sofia, 29th October, 2002)