site.btaUPDATED Parliament Elects Dragomir Zakov Minister of Defence

Bulgaria's National Assembly on Tuesday elected Dragomir Zakov Minister of Defence, replacing Stefan Yanev.

Zakov, a long-serving career diplomat with ample expertise in security policy, has been Bulgaria's Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council since 2019. His diplomatic rank is minister plenipotentiary.

Nominating Zakov for the office, the Council of Minister withdrew its earlier nomination for the portfolio, Todor Tagarev.

Presenting the nominee, Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said that in recent years Zakov has been active in asserting a systematic approach to decision-making in the field of defence and in invigorating the fight against disinformation. Petkov stressed that the nominee has amassed extensive experience.

Zakov was born in Sofia on July 24, 1975. He earned an MA in international economic relations from Sofia's University of National and World Economy in 1999.  During his conscription between 2000 and 2001, he was part of a Bulgarian team that provided logistical coordination for the KFOR transports across Bulgarian territory. He joined the Foreign Ministry in 2002 and worked there at the OSCE and Regional Security Department, the Arms Control and Non-proliferation Department, the UN and Development Cooperation Directorate, the NATO and Regional Security Directorate, and the Security Policy Directorate. He was posted to Bulgaria's Permanent Mission to NATO in Brussels (2004-2008) and to Bulgaria's Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office and Other International Organizations in Geneva. He speaks English, French and Russian.