UNIS/BIO/654
21 October 2002

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BULGARIA
PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

VIENNA, 21 October (UN Information Service) -- The new Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the United Nations (Vienna), Ivo Petrov, presented his credentials today to Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).

Prior to his current assignment, he served as Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Tajikistan and Head of the United Nations Tajikistan Office of Peace-Building (UNTOP), from June 2000 to July 2002.

From 1999 to 2001, he held the post of Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Tajikistan and Head of the United Nations Mission of Observers in Tajikistan (UNMOT).

Mr. Petrov joined his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1974 as Attaché. From 1975 to 1982, he served with the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) desk; and from 1984 to 1986, as German desk officer. From 1990 to 1993, he was Head of the CSCE Department and from 1998 to 1999, Head of the European Integration Department.

Abroad, he served as First Secretary in the Embassy of Bulgaria in Bonn (1986-1990) and Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bulgaria to the United Nations, OSCE and other international organizations in Vienna (1993-1998).

Born in 1948 in Bulgaria, Mr. Petrov graduated from the Technical University in Sofia in 1972 and attended the Diplomatic Academy in Moscow (1982-1984).

* *** *