Valeri Ratchev
SENIOR ASSOCIATE
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Iraq and Councillor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria Valeri R. Ratchev has presented his Letters of Credence as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Republic of Iraq on March 22, 2006.
This is the first diplomatic post of Valeri Ratchev. At this rank he arrived after 30 years military career from the position of Deputy Commandant of ‘G. S. Rakovski’ Defense and Staff College and Dean of National Security and Defense Faculty. He served also as a Deputy Director for Defence Planning at the Ministry of Defence, Deputy Director of the National Security Studies Centre, editor-in-chief of the MoD’ professional bi-monthly Military Journal and on a variety of positions as a commanding and staff officer in the Bulgarian Armed Forces. For his service he has been decorated with Medal for Distinguished Military Service (II and III classes) and many other signs as well as with a personal combat arm.
In the period 2009-2013 he served as Chief of the Political Cabinet of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.
Since 2013 he is Associate of the Center for Management of Security and Defense of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.
He has earned a B.S. and M. A. in military art in the Artillery Academy in Shoumen, Bulgaria and Artilery College in Sanct Peterburg (Leninigrad) and obtained qualification in international relations and security from the U.S.-German George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (Garmish-Partenkirchen), the Institute for International Relations in Rome (Italy), and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, USA).
His area of expertise includes international and national security issues, defense transformation and force planning, civil-military relations and crisis management. On those issues he has published and lectured in Bulgaria, Europe and USA.
Valeri Ratchev is Senior Research Associate of ISIS. His affiliation with the Institute is since 1995.
