BTA: Kiril Valchev Unanimously Re-elected BTA Director General

Kiril Valchev was re-elected unanimously for a second five-year term as Director General of the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) here on Thursday. All 170 MPs attending the plenary sitting voted in favour of his nomination, which was put forward by three MPs of the government coalition: Kostadin Angelov (GERB-UDF), Toshko Yordanov (There Is Such a People), and Mariana Boyadzhieva (BSP - United Left). There were no votes against or abstentions.

After National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan declared Valchev's election, he took the oath of office required by the law, swearing to observe the Constitution and the laws of the land and discharge in good faith his duties as BTA Director General, being guided by the principles provided for in the Bulgarian News Agency Act.

Nazaryan wished him a successful term in office.

Parliament has received more than 60 letters in support of Valchev's nomination, said parliamentary Culture and Media Committee Chair Toshko Yordanov.

Valchev ran unchallenged for the post.

"BTA will remain the place for real news from everybody and everywhere, with a clear source, non-judgmental and freely accessible, in the service of all media," Valchev said, addressing the legislature after his election.

He thanked the National Assembly: the MPs, the Registry Department and the Media Committee, for keeping the time limit for his election. "The term, alongside the stand-alone budget and backing from various public quarters and political forces, guarantees BTA's independence as provided for in the Constitution," the Director General pointed out.

He also acknowledged the 75 positions supporting his re-election bid from some 100 organizations and individuals, including the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, municipalities, employers, trade unions, cultural unions, cultural unions, artists and the Patriarch.

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Kiril Alexandrov Valchev was born in Sofia on May 24, 1973. In 1992, he graduated cum laude from the National High School for Ancient Languages and Cultures in Sofia, and in 1998 he graduated cum laude from the St Kliment Ohridski University of Sofia, earning a master's degree in Law. In 1995, he completed a professional course in radio management at Deutsche Welle in Cologne, Germany. He was a fellow in the European Leaders Program of the German Marshall Fund in the US in 2000, and in 2003 he interned with the BBC Bulgarian Section in London.

His language skills include English, Russian, Latin, Ancient Greek, and Old Bulgarian.

He worked at BTA's External News Desk between 1993 and 1995. From 1993 to 2021, he hosted The Week, a weekly news and views show on Darik Radio, covering numerous assignments as correspondent of the station.

Valchev served as Secretary of the Union of Bulgarian National Electronic Media, whose members include BTA, Bulgarian National Television, Bulgarian National Radio, Nova Television, and Darik Radio.

As a lawyer, he specialized in media and intellectual property law. He authored publications in constitutional and commercial law and served as legal adviser to BTA, Darik Radio, and other media outlets. In 2011, he shared in drafting the Bulgarian News Agency Act.

On January 27, 2021, Parliament elected him Valchev BTA Director General without a plenary debate. The vote was 105 in favour, none against, and no abstentions.

He is the recipient of numerous awards and honours in the media sector.