Krum Efremov to be ambassador in Sofia

Preparations are under way for the posting of Krum Efremov as North Macedonia’s ambassador to Sofia, Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski said at a press briefing. The announcement follows an internal appointment procedure that, according to the minister, has moved beyond the classified stage for this post.

"When we talk about the procedure for appointing ambassadors and general consuls, at a certain stage it is classified and I cannot comment on names. When it comes to the ambassador to Sofia, the procedure is already at a stage where it is no longer classified information and I can publicly share that our ambassador to Bulgaria will be Ambassador Krum Efremov, a professional diplomat, one of the more qualified, I would say, diplomats in my opinion, although we have excellent colleagues within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but a truly high-quality diplomat, the current director of the Directorate for Economic Diplomacy in the Ministry, who served as our ambassador to Ukraine in the past and he will be our ambassador in Sofia. Preparations for his departure to Sofia are currently underway," Mucunski said.

Emphasis on career diplomats

Mucunski reminded the public that recent amendments to the Law on Foreign Affairs, proposed by the current government, increase the representation of career diplomats among heads of diplomatic and consular missions.

"With the amendments and additions that this Government made, and which were of course approved by the Assembly, at least 50 percent of our ambassadors and general consuls must be professional diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Practice has shown that since the proposals we have submitted from the moment we formed the Government, over 60 percent of the candidates for general consuls and ambassadors are professional diplomats. So not only is the legal solution respected, but we go above the minimum we set at such a high threshold," he said.

Asked about media reports naming a candidate for the ambassador post in Athens, Mucunski said he could not comment because that appointment procedure is still at a classified stage.

The ministry has not published a formal diplomatic note or a timetable for Efremov’s transfer; the minister indicated only that administrative preparations are ongoing. The original report was published on 18 August 2026 at 12:16.

Photo: press material from the event