Legal Framework of Bulgarian Trade Agencies and Consulates (1891 – 1918)

Abstract

The article examines the legal regulation of the service in the Bulgarian trade agencies/consulates for the period from 1891 to 1918. The attempts at bilateral negotiations on the subject with the Ottoman Empire are examined, the two normative acts fixing the rights and duties of the consular representatives are highlighted: the Regulations for the Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1897) and the Law on the Structure and Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1907). A detailed structure of the royal consulates can also be traced in the state budgets, where staffing and assignments are detailed. The departmental legislation set the framework for a modern consular service on a par with other European countries.