Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikolay Mladenov heading for a cabinet sitting Wednesday. Photo by BGNES
Five new ambassadors for Bulgaria’s diplomatic service have been formally proposed by the Bulgarian cabinet to President Rosen Plevneliev for approval.
This includes brand new envoys to Russia, Spainand Morocco, as well as the promotion of interimambassadors in Syria and Pakistan to fullambassadors.
Boyko Kotsev, who has up to now being permanent representative of Bulgaria to the EU, has been proposed to the ambassador seat in Moscow.
“Kotsev has been working at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for years, and is well acquainted with the EU-Russian relations,” commented Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikolay Mladenov.
On his part, current Bulgarian consul in ValenciaKostadin Kodzhabashev, also a career diplomat, has been proposed for ambassador to Spain.
Bulgaria’s current ambassadorsRussia and Spainare among the large number of Bulgarian diplomats exposed in 2011 as former agents of the communistState Security, and are expected to be recalled by force of a controversial legal amendment.
Boryana Simeonova, who since 1998 has been head of protocol at Bulgaria’s Council of Ministers, had been proposed for ambassador to Morocco.
Dimitar Mihaylov and Rumen Pironchev, Bulgarian interim ambassadors in Damascus and Islamabadrespectively, are expected to be appointed as permanent envoys.
During Wednesday’s press conference, Bulgarian Foreign Affairs Minister Nikolay Mladenov refused to elaborate on the precise agenda for this weekend’s visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.