These relations have developed positively on the international stage as well as in commerce and strategic affairs.

Ties between the two countries trace two hundred years back when Bulgarian rebels fighting the Ottomans were captured and brought to Nicosia.

During their imprisonment, they developed strong friendships with the locals while one captive even wrote an informative diary on Nicosia life in the 1800s.

Labour Minister Sotiroulla Charalambous and government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou are two of the more high-profile Bulgarian-speaking graduates.

[2] Cyprus is one of the most powerful investors in Bulgaria, with Cypriot investment reaching €1.7 billion in 2010.