WFLS Embassy Roundtable with the Ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States
Monday, April 30, 2018, 6 p.m.
The Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria | 1621 22nd St. NW, Dimitar Peshev Plaza, Washington, D.C. 20008
WFLS Embassy Roundtable Series: A Conversation with Ambassador Stoytchev on Bulgaria’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union
Eleven years after its accession to the European Union, on January 1, 2018, Bulgaria took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU for the first time. The Council is one of the key institutions of the EU. For six months, Bulgaria will be the lead administrator in the EU decision-making process. At a time when the EU confronts many challenges, the Presidency of the Council of the EU has even greater significance – and not just for Europe. We are delighted that Ambassador Tihomir Stoytchev has agreed to share his thoughts on Bulgaria’s vision for the EU, and the successes and challenges so far in implementing Bulgaria’s key priorities in this short, six-month period.
Under the motto of Bulgaria’s Presidency—“United We Stay Strong,” which is also the motto of the National Assembly and the Coat of Arms of the Republic of Bulgaria—the program of the Presidency is built on three main pillars: stability, security, and solidarity; and includes four priority areas:
- Clear European perspective and connectivity for the countries from the Western Balkans
- More security and stability in a strong and united Europe
- The digital economy and skills for the future with a focus on completing the Single Digital Market
- The future of Europe and its young people through sustainable economic growth and social cohesion
Please join us at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria for a discussion to be followed by a networking reception.
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Biography of the Ambassador:
Ambassador Tihomir Stoytchev is a career diplomat. On June 27, 2016, he presented his Letters of Credence to President Barack Obama, accrediting him as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the United States of America.
Ambassador Stoytchev was most recently Foreign Policy Secretary to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria (2012 – 2016). From 2008 to 2011, Mr. Stoytchev served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C., where from November 2009 to August 2010 he served as Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim. From 2003 to 2007, he was Counsellor on Political and Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Washington, D.C. During this period, Bulgaria became a member of NATO and the EU. From 1996 to 2000, he served as Third Secretary at the Bulgarian Mission to the EU in Brussels, Belgium, during which Bulgaria commenced preparation for membership and started accession negotiations. At the same time he was also responsible for forging ties with the European Parliament and the Bulgaria-EU Joint Parliamentary Committee.
At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Sofia, he was employed by the EU Directorate as Head of the Department for EU External Relations, Budget and Financial Instruments, International Economics, and Financial Organizations (2007-2008); European Integration Directorate, as Secretary of Sub-Committee II “EU Internal Market” (2000-2003); and European Integration Directorate, as State Expert on Political dialogue and cooperation with the EU in the area of Common Foreign and Security Policy and Justice and Home Affairs (1994-1996). He was also responsible for the relations between Bulgaria and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Mr. Stoytchev earned his B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Sofia, St. Kliment Ohridski, in Philosophy and History. He is decorated with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2015) and the Commemorative Medal on the occasion of 100 Years of Bulgarian-US Diplomatic Relations (2003).
