Nikolay Nenchev

Iliya Nalbantov, who has worked as Chief of Staff with the Defense Minister in the past year, has been dismissed, reports suggest.

No reasons have yet been pointed, according to BGNES news agency.

Archives of the Defense Information Service (DIS), Bulgaria's military intelligence, are due to be handed over to the Files Commission which deals with documents of the one-time security services.

The data, however, will not include names of foreign agents affiliated to DIS to avoid risks for living agents.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the delegation headed by him will have an audience with Pope Francis on Saturday.

The visit to the Vatican and Italy on Saturday and Sunday will be on the occasion of May 24 - the Day of Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Script.

Bulgaria will kickstart an acquisition process for a new multipurpose combat aircraft by the end of next month, Defence Minister Nikolay Nenchev has said.

The Defence Ministry will submit the respective proposal to the government by 30 June, BGNES news outlet quoted Nenchev as saying on Thursday following a meeting of the parliament's defence committee.

Bulgarian Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev announced on Tuesday he has appointed Yordan Bakalov, a former interim Interior Minister, as head of the Defense Information Service.

Yordan Bakalov, who has also been an MP in several Bulgarian legislatures throughout the years, has "exceptional" moral qualities and is well-prepared to do the job, the minister has said.

The Bulgarian government stationed troops at the border with Macedonia, who have readiness to deal with an eventual migratory wave in case the situation in the neighbouring country worsens.

Bulgaria should become more open to tourists from South Korea who find the country interesting, President Rosen Plevneliev has said.

Bulgaria's head of state is on a visit to South Korea at the invitation of counterpart Park Geun-hye.

There are no immediate threats to Bulgaria from the situation in Macedonia, the country's Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev has said.

During a visit to Seoul where he is accompanying President Rosen Plevneliev, Nenchev added Border Police and the Interior Ministry stood ready to provide full assistance to ensure border security if necessary.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has called on South Korean high-tech firms to invest into the country, according to a leading South Korean news outlet.

In an interview with Yonhap News Agency, he has described Bulgaria as the "front-door" to the European Union.

Bulgaria and the Republic of Korea will sign a memorandum on cooperation in the sphere of defense during a visit of Defense Minister Nikolay Nenchev and President Rosen Plevneliev to the country.

The Bulgarian delegation headed by Plevneliev which will visit Mongolia and the Republic of Korea in the period May 10 - 15, 2015, according to a media statement of the Defense Ministry.