Elena Borislavova Poptodorova

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria

to the United States of America

Education and training

1979                Post-graduate two year course in international relations and diplomacy, University of National and World Economy, Sofia;

1976/77/78      Three-month courses at the University of Siena, Italy in Italian and European history and public diplomacy;

1975                “Kliment Ohridski” University of Sofia, Department of Humanities, English and Italian Language and Literature;

1974                Four-month training at the University of Leeds, UK

1969                English Language School

Professional Career

Since February 2002 - Ambassador of Bulgaria to the United States;

June 2001- February 2002 – Director, Directorate of International Organizations and Human Rights;   August 2001 – additionally appointed Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;

June 1990 - April 2001 – Member of Parliament – Committee of Foreign Policy and European Integration, National Security Committee, Committee on Radio and Television, Committee on Human Rights; Committee on Agriculture;

1975-1990 - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 3^rd Secretary through to Minister Plenipotentiary; Minister Plenipotentiary in the Bulgarian Embassy in Rome and Consul General of Bulgaria to San Marino /1987-1990/

International Organizations

1991-1994 – Vice Chairman of the Bulgarian delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union; Member of the Coordinating Committee of Women Parliamentarians of IPU, responsible for Eastern and Central Europe;

1994-1997 – member of the Bulgarian Delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) – Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, Committee on Relations with Non-member Countries;

1996-1997 – member of the Joint Parliamentary Committee “Bulgaria-EU”, rapporteur for visa issues and social policies;

1997-April 2001 – reconfirmed member of the Bulgarian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe; Vice-chairman of the Committee on Equal Opportunities of Women and Men, member of the Social, Health and Family Affairs Committee, of the Committee on the Honoring of Obligations and Commitments by CE Member States /Monitoring Committee/ and of Culture and Education Committee;

1995-April 2001 – member of the International Forum of Parliamentarians on ICPD (Cairo) Review; member of the European network of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF);

2000-2001 – Deputy Chairperson of the Inter-European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (IEPFPD, Brussels);

September 2001-February 2002 -  Deputy Chairperson of the National Commission for UNESCO of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Affiliations

Founding member and member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria (since 1991);

Member of the Board of Trustees of the American University in Bulgaria (since 1995);

Member of the Governing Board of the Family Planning Association of Bulgaria (since 1996);

Member of the Governing Board of the Centre for Regional and Geopolitical Research, Bulgaria (since 1997);

Member of the Women’s Forum of Washington, DC (since 2003)

Member of the Executive Council of Diplomacy, Washington (since 2003)

Awards and Distinctions

Honorary member of the Parliamentarian Assembly of the Council of Europe in recognition of services rendered to the European cause, January 2002

Gold Medal of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria, 2003

Silver commemorative Medal on the occasion of the 100^th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Bulgaria and the United States of America, 2003

Doctor Honoris Causa in the Laws, Assumption College, Worcester, USA, May 2006

Gold Honorary Medal of the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for outstanding contribution to the accession of the Republic of Bulgaria to the European Union, 2007

Medal of Honor of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior “For Valour and Merit”, I class, March 2008, for outstanding contribution in the strengthening of the rule of law, the enhancement of national interest and the promotion of cooperation between the Republic of Bulgaria and the United States of America in the area of national and international security

Activities, Project Involvement and Publications

Foreign policy and security issues; civilian oversight; human rights – minorities, social rights, women’s rights and gender issues. Rapporteur of PACE on the above issues and on Kosovo PACE observer of the elections in Russia, Kosovo and Bosnia.

Languages

English, French, Italian, Russian, Bulgarian (native) 

Married, one son.

March, 2008