July 19 is marked in Bulgaria as the Day of the Bulgarian Diplomatic service. On that day in 1979, Prince Alexander 1 Battenberg issued a decree appointing the first Bulgarian diplomatic representatives abroad.

Going back in time to the historical archives, it turns out that the Bulgarian state established its first diplomatic relations with France during the reign of Khan Omurtag in 824. Once, the King’s messages were known as royal decree (a golden ornament resembling a seal). The word diplomacy comes from Greek word diploma which was a letter of credence that certified the ambassador’s power to negotiate. On April 17, 1879, the First Grand National Assembly elected Prince Alexander 1 Battenberg to head the Third Bulgarian Kingdom. Three months later, the Third Bulgarian Kingdom elected its first government. In line with the Tarnovo Constitution, the authorities established a central state institution in charge of the foreign affairs policies, i.e the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs was launched. Milko Balabanov was appointed Bulgaria’s Foreign Minister. When Prince Alexander 1 Battenberg informed the leaders of the neighboring countries about his appointment, the first diplomatic representations in these countries were opened. With a decree from July 19, 1879, Dr Dimitar Kirovich was appointed a diplomatic representative in Belgrade, Dragan Tsankov was appointed an envoy in Istanbul and Evlogy Georgiev became envoy in Bucharest. In 1879 ten European countries: Russia, Austro-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Belgium, Serbia, Romania and Turkey established diplomatic relations with the newly established Bulgarian state. The job of a diplomat has been for many years a male priority. After the WW1, the Bulgarian legation in London welcomed the first female Bulgarian diplomat- Nadezhda Stanchova who was appointed a secretary of the Bulgarian legation. Several years ago Nadezhda Mihaylova (currently Nadezhda Neynsky) became Bulgaria’s top diplomat, as she was elected Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. Today, the principles, the activity of the diplomacy, the rules and the statute of the diplomats at the embassies are based on the international acts, in line with the Vienna Convention of Diplomatic Relations from 1961 and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relation of 1963.