site.btaDefence Minister: Atanas Zapryanov

Lt. Gen. Atanas Zapryanov (Ret.) has served as Defence Minister in the first caretaker cabinet of Dimitar Glavchev. Deputy Defence Minister in the Nikolay Denkov Cabinet. Born in 1950. Graduated as a communications engineer from the Vasil Levski National Military University; then from the S. M. Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps, Russia; and the General Staff Faculty of the G.S. Rakovski National Defence Academy.

Commandant of G.S. Rakovski National Defence Academy; Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army for resources; military representative of the Chief of General Staff at the NATO Military Committee and the European Union (until 2010). Counsellor to two political cabinets of the Minister of Defence (until 2013; 2015-2016); deputy defence minister (2016-2017). Awarded multiple times for excellent military service and high professionalism. Awarded the Order For Military Merit, First Degree.