Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Bulgaria
Peter Kouroumbashev – born on January 28, 1968, in Pleven, Bulgaria. He has four children. (for more information click here) He graduated from Sofia High School of Mathematics and he has a master’s degree in Computer Science from the Technical University in Sofia. He is one of the establishers of the legendary student show “Ku-ku” from the early 90’s. He was a reporter, editor, editor-in-chief and producer of the show.
Between 1995 and 1996 he worked as editor-in-chief at Nova TV and was responsible for public relations and entertainment programs. In 1997 he became the general manager of BNT (Bulgarian National Television).
Since 2006 he has been investing in power plants that produce energy from renewable sources, and now is an owner of power plants with a total installed capacity of 5 500 kW and a total annual production of 8 400 000 kWH. (For more information click here)
From 2007 to 2009 Mr. Peter Kouroumbashev was a councilor in the Sofia Municipal Council from the list of the Bulgarian socialist party. In the periods of the 41st(2009-2013) and 42nd(2013-2014) National Assembly, Kouroumbashev was a Member of Parliament from Coalition for Bulgaria. In the 42nd National Assembly, he was a Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Waters and a Deputy Chairman of the Parliamentary Group of the Coalition for Bulgaria. He also participated in the campaigns of Presidents Petar Stoyanov in 2001 and Rumen Radev in 2016. Between 2017 and 2019 he was a member of the European Parliament, elected from the list of Coalition for Bulgaria. Peter Kouroumbashev took part in the Group of Socialists and Democrats in EP.
As a member of the Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN), rapporteur on the Bus Transport Directive, rapporteur on the European Cyber Security Directive Agency, and a member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), Kouroumbashev was one of the most active Bulgarian members of the European Parliament on the Mobility Package.
He was also a member of the Delegation for relations with the People’s Republic of China, a member of the Delegation for relations with South-East Asia, a member of the Delegation for relations with the Republic of Albania. He was Vice Chair of the Delegation to the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee. (For more information about the activity as MEP)
In May 2020 he was appointed Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Bulgaria based in Sofia. From October 2023 Mr. Peter Kouroumbashev begins his second Mandate. (For more information about the Exequatur)
In January 2005, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Prof. Ognian Gerdjikov, paid an official visit to Malaysia. During the ninth ASEM summit in November 2012, a meeting was held in Vientiane, Laos, between the President of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev and the Prime Minister of Malaysia Najib Razak. The first official visit of the Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs to Malaysia took place in March 2016.
Even though the Bulgarian trade and economic relations with Malaysia are mainly through Singapore, direct trade has also intensified recently. There is a moderate increase in tourist travel of Malaysian citizens to Bulgaria.
The EU-ASEAN dialogue provides opportunities for the development of cooperation within ASEM. Malaysia is the third country in the region with which the European Union is in talks to conclude a Free Trade Agreement.
In 2004 the Malaysian businessman and Honorary Consul of Bulgaria in Malaysia Stephen So Tech To, was awarded the Golden Laurel Branch by the Minister of Foreign Affairs for his contribution to the development of bilateral relations.
The following bilateral agreements have been concluded between Bulgaria and Malaysia:
1970 Air Communications Agreement; 1971 Economic and Scientific-Technical Cooperation Agreement; 2016 Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on Legal Affairs
