Head of Mission

Georgi Panayotov

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United States of America

Ambassador Georgi Panayotov is a career diplomat with over 25 years of professional experience. On June 7, 2022, the President of the United States Joe Biden accepted the Letter of Credence for Georgi Panayotov as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United States.

Prior to that, he served as the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Bulgaria in two consecutive caretaker governments between May and December 2021.

Previously, he served as the Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the UN in New York, from 2016 to 2020. During his diplomatic career, he was Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C., (2010-2014) and in Kabul, Afghanistan (2002-2007). His professional career includes also a diplomatic assignment at the Bulgarian Embassy in Albania (1995-2000).

In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, he has held the following positions: Ambassador-at-large for the Black Sea region, Head of the NATO Department (2014-2016; 2009-2010); Diplomatic Officer in the Multilateral Cooperation Department in the Southeast Europe Directorate.

Ambassador Panayotov holds Master of Arts in Politics from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. He has completed a specialized course at the Geneva Center for Security Policy (GCSP) in 2009. His decorations include Silver Badge of Honor for Meritorious Service at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2018) and the Badge of Honor for merits to the active participation in NATO, MFA (2010).

Speaks fluently English, German, Russian and Albanian. Married with a daughter and a son.