Bulgaria was unable to appoint a new ambassador to Ukraine allegedly due to objections from Kiev to an earlier marriage the proposed diplomat had with a Russian woman, the Bulgarian news outlet 24 Hours claimed on Wednesday.
Petar Tanev was approved to become the country’s ambassador to Kiev by the cabinet under former Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov last October. He also had the backing of then-Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Maria Gabriel, according to the outlet.
However, his appointment was never formally confirmed by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, as his documents were never signed by the prime minister and therefore did not reach the president.
“An answer to the question of why the procedure for appointing the candidate proposed by the Foreign Ministry as Bulgaria’s ambassador to Ukraine has not been completed should be sought from the ministry,” the president’s office said.
According to 24 Hours, citing sources within the former Bulgarian government, the halting of Tanev’s appointment may have been prompted by a critical response from Kiev to his nomination. The outlet claims that Ukraine threatened not to greenlight Tenev, suggesting he had a “clear pro-Russian bias.” As an example of this supposed bias, Kiev apparently pointed to Tanev’s ex-wife, who is a Russian citizen.
Speaking to bTV, Tanev himself expressed bewilderment at the claim, stressing that he had divorced his Russian wife some 15 years ago. He also pointed out that both his sons, who have been outspoken opponents of Russia and have repeatedly expressed support for Ukraine, were “young men with a strong political position.”
Current acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev has also confirmed that Tanev’s appointment had been approved by the previous Council of Ministers, but noted that the official document never went to the president.
Meanwhile, Glavchev has sent former Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev to act as a temporary manager of Bulgaria’s embassy in Kiev. President Radev repeatedly refused to sign a decree to appoint Nenchev as ambassador, reportedly due to a past conflict with the official.