The new ambassadors of Bulgaria
25 March 2012 News
Council of Ministers proposes 24 Bulgarian candidate ambassadors
The Council of Ministers decided at its meeting today to propose to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria 24 candidate ambassadors, to occupy positions in some of the most important foreign capitals.
“The names proposed are those of people who have proven track records and professionalism. Through them, I want to show how the Diplomatic Service should look. This is the beginning of a process that the Government has the will to follow through to the end, to achieve one of its main priorities - quality diplomacy that works for Bulgarian business and citizens,” Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said.
“Most of the group of candidates are for EU Member States, countries in South East Europe and in the Middle East. This is an indication of the priorities of our foreign policy and the regions in which we should be most active,” the Foreign Minister said, speaking after the Government meeting
Minister Mladenov expressed his satisfaction that the number of women ambassadors was growing – five of the proposed diplomats are women, representing about 20 per cent of places in the diplomatic rotation.
The procedure for appointment of plenipotentiaries includes a proposal by the Government to the President of the Republic (according to Art. 98 Item 6 of the Constitution) and a request to the host country for consent. Following such agreement, the President of the Republic issues a decree on the appointment. The process ends with the presentation of the credentials of the newly-appointed ambassador to the head of state of the host country.
The Government nominates five further ambassadors
The Government today decided to propose five further candidate ambassadors to the President of the Republic.
Boyko Kotzev has been nominated to head the Bulgarian Embassy in Moscow, while three career diplomats have been named to head Bulgaria’s missions in Islamabad, Damascus and Madrid.
Boriana Simeonova, Director of the Government Protocol directorate at the Council of Ministers, has been nominated to become Bulgaria’s ambassador to Morocco.
"Sending to Russia our current representative to the EU is a sign of our desire to strengthen European perspectives in our relations with Moscow, because this is in Bulgaria’s interests," Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said.
Minister Mladenov emphasised the professionalism of the diplomats who have been proposed to become the ambassadors to Syria - a country in a critical situation, in Pakistan - a key country for the security of Asia and beyond, and in Spain, where there is a large Bulgarian Diaspora and important partnerships in the EU and NATO.
Apart from Mrs. Simeonova’s long experience in the highest levels of administration, the appointment is in line with the commitment to have more women as Bulgarian ambassadors, Nickolay Mladenov said.