The Treaty of Budapest

Treaty of Budapest
Budapest, December 15/ December 25, 1913
Peace Treaty between Greece, Serbia and Bulgaria.​

THEIR MAJESTIES the King of the Hellenes and the King of Serbia, on the one part, and His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians, on the other part, animated by the desire to put an end to the ruinous state of war presently existing between their respective countries and wishing for the sake of order and tranquility to establish peace between their long-suffering peoples, have resolved to conclude a lasting treaty of peace. Their said Majesties have, therefore, appointed as their plenipotentiaries the following individuals:

His Majesty the King of the Hellenes: His Excellency Elefterios Venizelos, President of his Council of Ministers, Minister of War; His Excellency Demetre Panas, Minister Plenipotentiary; M. Nicolas Politis, Professor of International Law in the University of Paris; Captain Ath. Exadactylos; Captain C. Pali;

His Majesty the King of Serbia: His Excellency Nicolas P. Pasitch, President of his Council of Ministers, Minister of Foreign Affairs; His Excellency Dr. Miroslaw Spalaikovitch, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; Colonel K. Smilianitch; Lieutenant-Colonel D. Kalafatovitch;

His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians: His Excellency Dimitri Tontcheff, his Minister of Finances; Major-General Ivan Fitcheff, Chief of Staff of his Army; M. Sawa Ivantchoff, Doctor of Laws, formerly Vice-President of the Sobranje; M. Simeon Radeff; Lieutenant-Colonel Constantin Stancioff of the General Staff;

Who, in accordance with the proposal of the governments of the United Kingdom, Austria, Italy, Germany, Russia, France, and Romania have assembled in conference at Budapest, with full powers, and who having happily reached an accord in consultation with the delegates from the aforementioned nations, have agreed to abide in perpetuity with the following stipulations:

I.

From the day on which the ratifications of the present treaty are exchanged there shall
be peace and amity between His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians, His Majesty the King of the Hellenes, and His Majesty the King of Serbia, as well as between their heirs and successors, their respective States and subjects.

II.

The frontier between the Kingdom of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Serbia shall follow, conformably to the map drawn up by the respective military delegates, that which is annexed to Protocol No.4 of December 21st 1913, of the Conference of Budapest, the following line:

The frontier line North of the town of Vranje will remain unchanged. Bulgaria recognizes that the towns of Pirot, Zajecar, Negotin, Knjazevac and Nis as inviolable Serbian territories. Serbia agrees to cede all territories it currently occupies south of the city of Vranje, except for the town of Priszen. South of Vranje, the border shall run along the Eastern branch of the Morava River until its termination; following that, the line shall run from its Southern point of the Morava’s end to the town of Prizren diagonally, in such a manner as includes the town of Tetovo within Bulgarian territory.

A mixed commission, composed of an equal number of representatives of Bulgaria, Serbia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Austria shall be charged, within ten days from the signing of the present treaty, with delimiting the new frontier, in conformity with the preceding stipulations.

This commission shall supervise the division of the lands and funds, which up to the present time may have belonged in common to the districts, communes, or communities separated by the new frontier.

III.

Questions relating to the Serbo-Bulgarian frontier shall be settled according to the understanding reached by the two Parties.

IV.

The frontier between the Kingdom of Greece and the Kingdom of Bulgaria shall follow, in accordance to the process-verbal drawn up by the respective military delegates and annexed to Protocol No.4 of December 21st, 1913, of the Conference of Budapest, the following line:

The frontier line shall start at the southern mouth of the Vardar River in the Aegean Sea. Greece cedes all land it currently occupies East of the Vardar River. The border west of the Vardar River shall run from the town of Florina, which will be ceded to Bulgaria, North of the Limni Vegoritida Lake, then run just south of the towns of Arnissa and Edessa, which will also be ceded to Bulgaria. Thereafter the line will be drawn straight to the Vardar River in a northeastern fashion in such a manner to include the settlements of Giannitsa, Koufalia, and Chalkidona within Greek territory, which Bulgaria recognizes as inviolable Greek territory. Bulgaria also renounces from henceforth all claim to the island of Crete.

The Bulgarian Government agrees to draft legislation creating legal protections for the new Greek Citizens within its enlarged borders, and to pay half of the costs associated with any Greek-speaking individuals’ decision to emigrate to Greece.

A mixed commission, composed of an equal number of representatives of each of Greece, Bulgaria, France, Russia, Germany, and Austria shall be charged, within ten days from the signing of the present treaty, with delimiting the frontier in conformity with the preceding stipulations.

This commission shall supervise the division of the lands and funds, which up to the present time may have belonged in common to the districts, communes, or communities separated by the new frontier.

VI.

The headquarters of the respective armies shall be immediately informed of the signing of the present treaty. The Serbian, Bulgarian, and Greek Governments jointly commit to begin the process of reducing their armies to a peace footing on the day after such notification. They shall order troops to their garrisons, whence, with the least possible delay, the various reserves shall be returned to their homes.

VII.

The evacuation of Greek and Serbian territory, both old and new, shall begin immediately after the demobilization of the respective armies and shall be completed within a period of not more than ten days.

VIII.

During the occupation of the Serbian and Greek territories the various armies shall retain the right of requisition in consideration of cash payment.

Such armies shall have free use of the railways for the transportation of troops and of provisions of all kinds, without compensation to the local authority.

The sick and wounded shall be under the protection of the said armies.

IX.

As soon as possible after the exchange of ratifications of the present treaty all prisoners of war shall be mutually restored.

The Governments of the Parties shall each appoint special commissioners to receive the prisoners.

All prisoners in the hands of any of the Governments shall be delivered to the commissioner of the Government to which they belong, or to his duly authorized representative, at the place which shall be determined upon by the interested parties.

The Governments of the Parties shall present to each other, respectively, as soon as possible after all the prisoners have been returned, a statement of the direct expenses incurred through the care and maintenance of the prisoners from the date of their capture or surrender to the date of their death or return. The sums due by Bulgaria to each one of the other Parties shall be set off against the sums due by each of the other Parties to Bulgaria, and the difference shall be paid to the creditor Government in each case as soon as possible after the exchange of the above-mentioned statements of expense.

X.

The present treaty shall be ratified, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Budapest within twelve days, or sooner if possible.