# Minister of Foreign Affairs (Bulgaria)

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria (Bulgarian: Министър на външните работи) is the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a member of the Government of Bulgaria. The current officeholder is Georg Georgiev.

## Functions

In accordance with the Regulations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the minister directs, coordinates and controls the implementation of the state policy of Bulgaria in its relations with other countries, ensuring the maintenance and development of foreign policy dialogue, security policy and bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation. The minister carries his/her duties by interacting with the state institutions in the implementation of their powers in the field of foreign policy and their international responsibilities; coordinating and participating in the preparation and conducting of the visits of state officials and government delegations at the highest level in Bulgaria and abroad; coordinating the international cooperation carried out by other ministers and heads of departments; proposing drafts of normative acts to the Council of Ministers, etc.

## List of ministers

| No. | Name (Birth–Death) | Took office | Left office | Political party |
| Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Religious Denominations (1879–1947) ||||||
| 1 | Marko Balabanov (1837–1921) | 17 July 1879 | 6 December 1879 | Conservative Party |
| 2 | Grigor Nachovich (1845–1920) | 6 December 1879 | 7 April 1880 | Conservative Party |
| 3 | Dragan Tsankov (1828–1911) | 7 April 1880 | 10 December 1880 | Liberal Party |
| 4 | Nikola Stoichev (1845–1898) | 10 December 1880 | 9 May 1881 | Liberal Party |
| | Nikola Stoichev (1845–1898) | 9 May 1881 | 13 July 1881 | Conservative Party |
| 5 | Konstantin Stoilov (1853–1901) | 13 July 1881 | 11 August 1881 | Conservative Party |
| 6 | Georgi Valkovich (1833–1892) | 11 August 1881 | 26 January 1883 | Conservative Party |
| (5) | Konstantin Stoilov (1853–1901) (2nd time) | 26 January 1883 | 15 March 1883 | Conservative Party |
| 7 | Kiryak Tsankov (1847–1903) | 15 March 1883 | 19 September 1883 | Independent |
| (1) | Marko Balabanov (1837–1921) (2nd time) | 19 September 1883 | 11 July 1884 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| 8 | Iliya Tsanov (1835–1901) | 11 July 1884 | 21 August 1886 | Liberal Party |
| 9 | Hristo Stoyanov (1842/1845–1895) | 21 August 1886 | 24 August 1886 | Independent |
| (5) | Konstantin Stoilov (1853–1901) (3rd time) | 24 August 1886 | 28 August 1886 | Conservative Party |
| (2) | Grigor Nachovich (1845–1920) (2nd time) | 28 August 1886 | 1 September 1887 | Conservative Party |
| 10 | Georgi Stranski (1847–1904) | 1 September 1887 | 16 June 1890 | People's Liberal Party |
| 11 | Stefan Stambolov (1854–1895) | 16 June 1890 | 14 November 1890 | People's Liberal Party |
| 12 | Dimitar Grekov (1847–1901) | 14 November 1890 | 31 May 1894 | People's Liberal Party |
| (2) | Grigor Nachovich (1845–1920) (3rd time) | 31 May 1894 | 22 February 1896 | People's Party |
| (5) | Konstantin Stoilov (1853–1901) (4th time) | 22 February 1896 | 30 January 1899 | People's Party |
| (12) | Dimitar Grekov (1847–1901) (2nd time) | 30 January 1899 | 13 October 1899 | People's Liberal Party |
| 13 | Todor Ivanchov (1858–1906) | 13 October 1899 | 10 December 1900 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| 14 | Dimitar Tonchev (1858–1906) | 10 December 1900 | 21 January 1901 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| 15 | Racho Petrov (1861–1942) | 21 January 1901 | 4 March 1901 | Independent |
| 16 | Stoyan Danev (1858–1949) | 4 March 1901 | 18 May 1903 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| (15) | Racho Petrov (1861–1942) (2nd time) | 18 May 1903 | 4 November 1906 | Independent |
| 17 | Dimitar Stanchov (1863–1940) | 4 November 1906 | 29 January 1908 | Independent |
| 18 | Stefan Paprikov (1858–1920) | 29 January 1908 | 18 September 1910 | Democratic Party |
| 19 | Aleksandar Malinov (1867–1938) | 18 September 1910 | 29 March 1911 | Democratic Party |
| 20 | Ivan Evstratiev Geshov (1849–1924) | 29 March 1911 | 14 June 1913 | People's Party |
| (16) | Stoyan Danev (1858–1949) (2nd time) | 14 June 1913 | 17 July 1913 | Progressive Liberal Party |
| 21 | Nikola Genadiev (1868–1923) | 17 July 1913 | 30 December 1913 | People's Liberal Party |
| 22 | Vasil Radoslavov (1854–1929) | 30 December 1913 | 21 June 1918 | Liberal Party (Radoslavists) |
| (19) | Aleksandar Malinov (1867–1938) (2nd time) | 21 June 1918 | 17 October 1918 | Democratic Party |
| 23 | Teodor Teodorov (1859–1924) | 17 October 1918 | 6 October 1919 | People's Party |
| 24 | Mihail Madzarov (1854–1944) | 6 October 1919 | 16 April 1920 | People's Party |
| 25 | Aleksandar Stamboliyski (1879–1923) | 16 April 1920 | 9 June 1923 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| 26 | Aleksandar Tsankov (1879–1959) | 9 June 1923 | 10 June 1923 | Democratic Alliance |
| 27 | Hristo Kalfov (1883–1945) | 10 June 1923 | 4 January 1926 | Democratic Alliance |
| 28 | Atanas Burov (1875–1954) | 4 January 1926 | 29 June 1931 | Democratic Alliance |
| (19) | Aleksandar Malinov (1867–1938) (3rd time) | 29 June 1931 | 29 October 1931 | Democratic Party |
| 29 | Nikola Mushanov (1872–1951) | 29 October 1931 | 19 May 1934 | Democratic Party |
| 30 | Kimon Georgiev (1882–1969) | 19 May 1934 | 23 May 1934 | Zveno |
| 31 | Konstantin Batolov (1878–1938) | 23 May 1934 | 21 April 1935 | Independent |
| 32 | Georgi Kyoseivanov (1884–1960) | 21 April 1935 | 15 February 1940 | Independent |
| 33 | Ivan Popov (1890–1944) | 15 February 1940 | 11 April 1942 | Independent |
| 34 | Bogdan Filov (1883–1945) | 11 April 1942 | 14 September 1943 | Independent |
| 35 | Sava Kirov (1893–1972) | 14 September 1943 | 14 October 1943 | Independent |
| 36 | Dimitar Shishmanov (1889–1945) | 14 October 1943 | 1 June 1944 | Independent |
| 37 | Ivan Ivanov Bagryanov (1891–1945) | 1 June 1944 | 12 June 1944 | Independent |
| 38 | Pervan Draganov (1890–1945) | 12 June 1944 | 2 September 1944 | Independent |
| 39 | Konstantin Muraviev (1893–1965) | 2 September 1944 | 9 September 1944 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| 40 | Petko Staynov (1890–1972) | 9 September 1944 | 31 March 1946 | Independent |
| 41 | Georgi Kulishev (1885–1974) | 31 March 1946 | 22 November 1946 | Independent |
| (30) | Kimon Georgiev (1882–1969) (2nd time) | 22 November 1946 | 11 December 1947 | Zveno |
| Ministers of Foreign Affairs (1947–present) ||||||
| 42 | Vasil Kolarov (1877–1950) | 11 December 1947 | 6 August 1949 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 43 | Vladimir Poptomov (1890–1952) | 6 August 1949 | 27 May 1950 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 44 | Mincho Neychev (1887–1956) | 27 May 1950 | 11 August 1956 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 45 | Karlo Lukanov (1897–1982) | 11 August 1956 | 27 November 1962 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 46 | Ivan Hristov Bashev (1916–1971) | 27 November 1962 | 13 December 1971 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 47 | Petar Mladenov (1936–2000) | 13 December 1971 | 17 November 1989 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 48 | Boyko Dimitrov (1941–2025) | 17 November 1989 | 22 September 1990 | Bulgarian Communist Party |
| 49 | Lyuben Gotsev (1930–2020) | 22 September 1990 | 20 December 1990 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| 50 | Viktor Valkov (born 1936) | 20 December 1990 | 8 November 1991 | Bulgarian Agrarian National Union |
| 51 | Stoyan Ganev (1955–2013) | 8 November 1991 | 30 December 1992 | Union of Democratic Forces |
| 52 | Lyuben Berov (1925–2006) | 30 December 1992 | 23 June 1993 | Independent |
| 53 | Stanislav Daskalov (born 1952) | 23 June 1993 | 17 October 1994 | Independent |
| 54 | Ivan Stanchov (1929–2021) | 17 October 1994 | 26 January 1995 | Independent |
| 55 | Georgi Pirinski Jr. (born 1948) | 26 January 1995 | 14 November 1996 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| (–) | Irina Bokova (born 1952) (acting) | 14 November 1996 | 12 February 1997 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| 56 | Stoyan Stalev (born 1952) | 12 February 1997 | 21 May 1997 | Independent |
| 57 | Nadezhda Mihaylova (born 1962) | 21 May 1997 | 24 July 2001 | Union of Democratic Forces |
| 58 | Solomon Passy (born 1956) | 24 July 2001 | 17 August 2005 | National Movement Simeon II |
| 59 | Ivaylo Kalfin (born 1964) | 17 August 2005 | 27 July 2009 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| 60 | Rumiana Jeleva (born 1969) | 27 July 2009 | 27 January 2010 | GERB |
| 61 | Nickolay Mladenov (born 1972) | 27 January 2010 | 13 March 2013 | GERB |
| 62 | Marin Raykov (born 1960) | 13 March 2013 | 29 May 2013 | Independent |
| 63 | Kristian Vigenin (born 1975) | 29 May 2013 | 6 August 2014 | Bulgarian Socialist Party |
| 64 | Daniel Mitov (born 1977) | 6 August 2014 | 27 January 2017 | Independent |
| 65 | Radi Naydenov (born 1962) | 27 January 2017 | 4 May 2017 | Independent |
| 66 | Ekaterina Zaharieva (born 1975) | 4 May 2017 | 12 May 2021 | GERB |
| 67 | Svetlan Stoev (born 1962) | 12 May 2021 | 13 December 2021 | Independent |
| 68 | Teodora Genchovska (born 1971) | 13 December 2021 | 2 August 2022 | There Are Such People |
| 69 | Nikolay Milkov (born 1957) | 2 August 2022 | 3 May 2023 | Independent |
| 70 | Ivan Kondov (born 1968) | 3 May 2023 | 6 June 2023 | Independent |
| 71 | Mariya Gabriel (born 1979) | 6 June 2023 | 9 April 2024 | GERB |
| 72 | Stefan Dimitrov (born 1966) | 9 April 2024 | 22 April 2024 | Independent |
| 73 | Dimitar Glavchev (born 1963) | 22 April 2024 | 27 August 2024 | Independent |
| (70) | Ivan Kondov (born 1968) | 27 August 2024 | incumbent | Independent |