Ban Ki-moon appoints Bulgarian Mladenov as Special Envoy for Iraq

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon appointed Nickolay Mladenov of Bulgaria as his Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), UN spokesman Martin Nesirky announced on Friday. Mladenov will replace Martin Kobler of Germany to whom the Secretary-General is "grateful" for his dedicated service and excellent leadership of UNAMI. Kobler is now the UN Special envoy for the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mladenov, 41, brings to his new position "extensive experience from a distinguished career in public service." He has served as Bulgaria's Foreign Minister from February 2010 to March 2013, and Defense Minister from July 2009 to January 2010. He has also held several positions in the inter-governmental and non-governmental sectors, including at the World Bank, the National Democratic Institute and the International Republic Institute. He earned a Master of Arts in War Studies at the King's College of London, and a Master's and Bachelor's degrees in international relations at the University of National and World Economy of Sofia, in Bulgaria.