Lilyana Pavlova Named New Bulgarian Regional Minister

Lilyana Pavlova is Bulgaria's new Minister of Regional Development and Public Works. Photo by BGNES

Lilyana Pavlova will replace Rosen Plevneliev as Bulgaria's Minister of Regional Development and Public Works.

Pavlova's nomination was officially presented Wednesday by Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, after the regularly scheduled meeting of the Council of Ministers.

"She is very well prepared and has all qualities, qualifications and skills; it is simply natural to promote her to the next level," Borisov said.

Plevneliev officially resigned from the ministerial post earlier Wednesday, on the heels of his Sunday nomination to run for president on the ticket of the ruling Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party at the October 23 elections.

The other top contender for Plevneliev's post had been the current Minister for the Management of EU Funds, Tomislav Donchev, and the decision had been difficult for Borisov, who has taken it at last minute.

On Sunday, the PM announced that changes in the cabinet will be made as early as Wednesday in order to assure the Ministries continue to operate smoothly. Later, Justice Minister, Margarita Popova, who was nominated to run for Vice President, announced she was not going to resign over some pending tasks and will take leave instead.

Until now, Pavlova was one of Plevneliev's Deputies, in charge of the operational programs at the Regional Ministry and had been very successful in the absorption of EU funds. The name of her replacement is yet to be revealed.

She was born on December 6, 1977. Pavlova has a PhD in Economics, a Master's Degree in Public Administration and European Integration, and a Bachelor's Degree in International Economic Relations.

Her professional career began in 1997 when she started working as financial manager under the PHARE EU program BG 9315 in the Managers' Training Program. In 1998 and 1999, Pavlova was Office Manager under the PHARE Program of the Tempus Project. From 1999 to 2002, she worked as ISPA program expert at the Regional Ministry. From 2002 to 2009 (when she was appointed Deputy Regional Minister in the new GERB cabinet), the new Minister has been Department Head of the Financial Management, Control, and Certification of EU Funds Unit within the National Fund Directorate at the Finance Ministry. Pavlova is fluent in English and Russian.

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