Elena Poptodorova

Elena Poptodorova is the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Bulgaria to the United States. She took office on August 10, 2010.

Biography

Elena Poptodorova joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1975 and served from 3rd secretary through minister-counselor in the Secretariat, the State Protocol, the Cabinet of the Minister and the UN and Disarmament Directorates through 1990, when she was elected in the national legislature.

From 1987 to 1990 she was minister-counselor at the Bulgarian embassy in Rome and Bulgaria’s Consul General to the Republic of San Marino.

Prior to her appointment in Washington, Ambassador Elena Poptodorova was Director of the Security Policy Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position, which she held for a year since August 1, 2009. In the period 2008 – 2009 she served as Ambassador-at-Large for the Black Sea Region at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Before her first mandate as the Ambassador of Bulgaria to the USA, she served as a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Organizations Directorate.

From 2002 to 2008 she was Bulgaria’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, when Bulgaria became a member of NATO and the EU.

Member of the National Parliament Ms. Poptodorova had a long career as a politician right from the beginning of the changes in Bulgaria in 1989. She was first elected Member of the National Assembly of Bulgaria in the 7th Constituent Assembly from the list of the Bulgarian Socialist Party in 1990, and was a speaker of the Parliamentary group of BSP. She was re-elected in the 36th, 37th and 38th National Parliaments. She served on the committees on foreign policy, national security, radio and TV, human rights, agriculture. She was the Deputy Chair of the Bulgarian delegation to the International Parliamentary Union, member of the national delegations to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), and the Joint Parliamentary Committee ‘Bulgaria-EU’. She also served as Deputy Chair of the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD)

Education

Ambassador Poptodorova is fluent in English, Italian, French, Russian, and her native Bulgarian. Elena Poptodorova earned her B.A. and M.A. degrees at the St. Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia in English and Italian linguistic and literary studies, after which she attended a post-graduate course in international relations at the University of National and World Economy in Sofia. She specialized at the University of Leeds, UK and the University of Siena, Italy.

Special achievements

2011 - Distinguished Service Award by the American University in Bulgaria 2008 - The Annual Award of the General Federation of Women's Clubs of the United States of America for leadership and outstanding contribution to the empowerment of women; 2008 - Medal of Honor “For Valour and Merit”, I class, of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior, for outstanding contribution to establishing the rule of law in Bulgaria, and the enhancement of the national interest and of national and European security; 2008 - Recognition Award of the Director of the US Secret Service in appreciation of her many contributions in support of the Secret Service mission and selfless commitment to the ideals and principles of law enforcement. 2007 - The Gold Medal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for outstanding contribution to Bulgaria’s accession to the EU; 2003 - The Gold Medal of Bulgaria’s Atlantic Club for promoting Bulgaria’s membership in NATO; 2003 - Silver Medal on the occasion of 100 Years of Bulgarian-US Diplomatic Relations; 2002 - Honorary Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in recognition of services rendered to the European cause.

Learn More

"Cultural Diplomacy and Bulgaria: MOVING forward" A Lecture by H. E. Amb Elena Poptodorova, Bulgarian Ambassador to the United States Bulgarian Embassy, Washington D.C. 2012

"Opportunities for International and Intercultural Relations to Enhance Cross & Trans Continental Cooperation" A lecture by H. E. Amb. Elena Poptodorova, ICD Advisory Board Member; Ambassador of Bulgaria to the USA The Washington D.C. Summit on Cross Continental Cooperation (Washington D.C., November 4th - 7th, 2013)