Permanent Secretary
SVETLAN STOEV
Svetlan Stoev was born on August 30, 1960 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
He graduated with a master’s degree in “International Relations” at the University of National and World Economy in 1985, in Sofia. .
He began his carrier at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria after winning a post open to competition in October 1985. He has occupied the following appointments and positions:
1985 - 1987 Trainee-Attaché at the Press Department;
1987 - 1990 Attaché at the “United State Protocol” Directorate;
1992 - 1993 Desk officer for Turkey at the “International Law and Consular Relations” Department;
1993 - 1997 First Secretary at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Lagos, Federal Republic of Nigeria;
1997 - 1999 Head of “Scandinavian Countries” Division at “Western Europe and North America” Directorate;
1998 - 1999 National Coordinator for the Central European Initiative;
1999 - 2002 Counsellor at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Copenhagen, the Kingdom of Denmark;
2003 - 2005 Head of Department in “European Countries” Directorate. Co-Chairman of the Joint Governmental Commission “Bulgaria-Bavaria”.
Head of the Task Force in relation to the preparation and organization of the 12th OSCE Council Meeting in Sofia, 7-9 December 2004;
2005 - 2009 Ambassador, Head of the Diplomatic Bureau of the Republic of Bulgaria in Bonn, Federal Republic of Germany;
2009 - 2011 Administrative Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Head of the Interinstitutional Committee on Diplomatic Property outside the Country;
2011 - 2012 Ambassador at large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria;
2012 - 2016 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Kingdom of Sweden;
2016 - 2019 Director of the State Protocol Directorate, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria;
2019 - 2023 Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Kingdom of Denmark;
May 12, 2021 - Dec 13, 2021 Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria in two consecutive Caretaker Governments;
January – April 22, 2024 Head of the Inspectorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
Since April 23, 2024 Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria
Fluency in English, German and Russian.
He has been awarded the following distinctions:
- Medal of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany;
- Order of Merit of the French Republic;
- Golden Laurel Twig of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria for excellence in Achieving High Standards and Performance during the Bulgarian Presidency of the OSCE;
- Silver Honorary Award of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Excellence in Achieving High Standards of Performance in the Diplomatic Service;
- Golden Laurel Twig of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria for Excellence in Achieving High Standards and Performance during the Bulgarian Presidency of the EC of the EU.
Married, with two children.