SOFIA, Bulgaria — In a significant diplomatic move, veteran Bulgarian statesman Nickolay Mladenov has been designated as director-general for the newly established U.S. Board of Peace in Gaza. The appointment, confirmed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday and verified by U.S. officials, positions Mladenov at the helm of an unprecedented international mechanism designed to administer Gaza during a critical transitional period.
The 53-year-old diplomat brings extensive credentials to this formidable challenge, having previously served as both Bulgaria’s Defense and Foreign Minister before undertaking high-profile United Nations assignments. His most recent role as U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (2015-2020) provided him with deep immersion in the region’s complex political dynamics and established his reputation as a trusted intermediary between conflicting parties.
According to the ceasefire framework brokered by the United States, the peace authority—which will be chaired by President Donald Trump—bears responsibility for overseeing a technocratic Palestinian administration, facilitating Hamas disarmament, coordinating international security forces, managing Israeli troop withdrawals, and supervising reconstruction efforts in the war-ravaged territory.
Middle East experts highlight Mladenov’s distinctive qualifications for this delicate assignment. Milen Keremedchiev, a former diplomat and regional specialist, noted that “Bulgaria has long been perceived as a moderate country, one that has avoided extremes in this particularly acute conflict,” adding that Mladenov consistently maintained “a carefully balanced approach” during his ministerial tenure that earned respect from both Israeli and Palestinian leadership.
This sentiment was echoed by Alon Bar, a retired Israeli diplomat who collaborated closely with Mladenov during his UN service. Bar emphasized that despite Israel’s historically strained relationship with the United Nations, Mladenov “managed to gain Israel’s confidence” while simultaneously building trust with Palestinian counterparts. “He was able to create a relationship of trust with the political echelon in Israel, including Prime Minister Netanyahu,” Bar observed, noting Mladenov’s practical approach focused on “trying to find bridges” between opposing positions.
Mladenov’s diplomatic portfolio includes significant crisis management experience, having served as U.N. envoy to Iraq during the rise of ISIS (2013-2015) and later helping de-escalate cross-border violence between Israel and Hamas. His leadership during the Arab Spring period as Bulgaria’s foreign minister included hosting the first-ever structured dialogue between Syrian opposition factions in 2012.
Educated at King’s College London and the University of National and World Economy in Sofia, Mladenov currently directs the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in the UAE. His extensive peacebuilding efforts were formally recognized in February 2021 when he received the Grand Star of the Order of Jerusalem from Palestinian leadership.
As the international community watches this new peace architecture take shape, Mladenov’s appointment represents a strategic selection grounded in his proven track record of mediation and consensus-building in one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.