site.btaNew British Ambassador to Sofia Emma Hopkins Expected to Take Up Appointment in May 2015

New British Ambassador to Sofia
Emma Hopkins Expected to
Take Up Appointment in May 2015

Sofia, September 8 (BTA) - Mrs Emma Kate Hopkins OBE has been
appointed Her MajestyÒs Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria
in succession to Mr Jonathan Guy Allen, who will be transferring
 to another Diplomatic Service appointment, the British Embassy
in Sofia said on its website on Monday. Mrs Hopkins will take up
 her appointment during May 2015.

Mrs Hopkins transferred to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office
in 2012 and is currently the Head of the Preventing Sexual
Violence Initiative. She received an OBE in the 2014 QueenÒs
Birthday Honours List for services to preventing sexual violence
 in conflict-affected countries overseas. A barrister by
background, her career in government has spanned immigration,
human rights, EU, organised crime as well as violence against
women. Whilst at the Home Office she developed the strategy on
human trafficking and delivered it through a national and
international campaign. She received the "civil servant of the
year' award for outstanding contribution to public service in
2008 for this work.

On her appointment as Her MajestyÒs Ambassador to the Republic
of Bulgaria, Mrs Hopkins said, quoted by the British Embassy: "I
 am delighted to be appointed as British Ambassador to Bulgaria.
 It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to work with
Bulgaria to further strengthen our bilateral relationship and
achieve our shared objectives. I look forward to building on the
 strong existing relationship and working on issues of
importance to both our countries. I have already heard a lot
about the beauty of Bulgaria and the hospitality of its people,
and the whole family is excited about coming!".

Mrs Hopkins is married and has two daughters. SN /ZH/
//

.