Ekaterina Spasova Gecheva-Zaharieva (Bulgarian: Екатерина Спасова Гечева-Захариева; born 8 August 1975) is a Bulgarian politician who served as the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria 2017 to 2021. She was interim Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional development from 2013.

Ekaterina Zaharieva
Екатерина Захариева
Zaharieva in 2017
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
4 May 2017 – 12 May 2021
Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov
Preceded byRadi Naydenov
Succeeded bySvetlan Stoev
Minister of Justice
In office
18 December 2015 – 27 January 2017
Prime MinisterBoyko Borisov
Preceded byHristo Ivanov
Succeeded byMariya Pavlova
Personal details
Born
Ekaterina Spasova Gecheva

(1975-08-08) 8 August 1975 (age 48)
Pazardzhik, Bulgaria
Political partyGERB
Spouse
Angel Zahariev
(m. 2006)
Alma materPlovdiv University

Early life and education edit

Zaharieva was born in Pazardzhik in 1975. She became fluent in German at her local college, then attended the University of Plovdiv where she graduated in law. This was followed by a law master's degree.[1]

Career edit

 
Zaharieva meets with U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo at the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C., on November 5, 2018.

She worked as a lawyer until 2003. She then became a legal Advisor of the Ministry of Environment and Water. Zaharieva became the Director of Legal, Administrative and Regulatory Services in 2007.[1]

Entering politics in 2009, she became the Minister of Regional Development to Rosen Plevneliev. When Plevneliev became President of Bulgaria, he chose her for the position of one of the Deputy Prime Ministers from March to May in 2013.[2] She was interim deputy Prime Minister to Marin Raykov in the Bulgarian Cabinet.

 
Zaharieva with President of Israel Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem, 12 November 2020

In 2013 she was the Minister of Regional Development.[citation needed] From 18 December 2015 she served as Minister of Justice until 27 January 2017. She became the Foreign Minister of Bulgaria on 4 May 2017.[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b Ekaterina Zakharieva, President of the Republic, retrieved January 2014
  2. ^ Visit of Ekaterina Zakharieva, Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development and Public Works, to the EC, March 2013, retrieved January 2014
  3. ^ "Minister of Foreign Affairs". The Republic of Bulgaria.
Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Justice
2015–2017
Succeeded by
Maria Pavlova
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs
2017–2021
Succeeded by