A review of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria’s list detailing diplomatic missions abroad indicates that Bulgaria currently relies on chargés d’affaires rather than fully appointed ambassadors in more than ten countries, including the United States and Ukraine. This information was published on the Council of Ministers’ Access to Public Information Platform. Furthermore, embassies in Mexico, Minsk (Belarus), Pyongyang (North Korea), Tashkent (Uzbekistan), Damascus (Syria), Baghdad (Iraq), Abuja (Nigeria), Tehran (Iran), Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), and Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) are also managed by chargés d’affaires.
Under Bulgarian constitutional law, the President is responsible for appointing the heads of diplomatic missions following a proposal from the Council of Ministers. The Diplomatic Service Act stipulates that the Foreign Minister submits proposals to the government for the designation of ambassadors extraordinary and plenipotentiary, as well as permanent representatives to international bodies. The process has seen recent activity.
In mid-2025, discussions regarding ambassadorial appointments took place between the then-President and Prime Minister. While ambassadors were subsequently appointed to nations such as Italy, Portugal, Finland, and Belgium, the practice of utilizing chargés d’affaires has drawn attention. Most recently, in an extraordinary issue of the State Gazette of Bulgaria, decrees were published by President Iliana Iotova formally appointing ambassadors to Malta and Cape Verde.
This highlights the ongoing administrative process concerning the representation of Bulgaria abroad, contrasting the current reliance on temporary envoys with the formal process required for fully appointed ambassadors.
Topics: #bulgaria #appointed #ambassadors
It’s surprising that Bulgaria doesn’t have appointed ambassadors in major countries like the US and Ukraine.