Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Kiril Valchev briefed 24 foreign diplomats on BTA’s strategic aims during an induction seminar organized by the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at BTA’s Maxim Hall on Wednesday.
BTA is Bulgaria’s oldest national media organization still operating under its original name, founded in 1898 by decree of Ferdinand. Its first bulletin was issued on February 16, 1898, Valchev said.
BTA maintains cooperation agreements with 22 European agencies from the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) and has extended collaboration offers to nine additional agencies. In 2022, BTA became a member of MINDS International, a global association of 26 leading news agencies focused on mobile news services.
Valchev has identified freedom, truth, knowledge, community, and memory as the central priorities for his five-year mandate.
Since February 16, 2022, BTA’s news has been available free of charge. In 2024, BTA has published 211,750 news items, 254,659 photographs, and 6,200 video materials, with these figures increasing steadily since 2020. Media outlets may use news content and designated photographs, provided BTA is cited as the source. Valchev noted that paid access is required for third-party copyright-protected and archival materials, in accordance with BTA’s statutory regulations.
BTA operates active profiles on Facebook and TikTok and produces its own podcast in Bulgarian language, “BTA Parallels.”
During the seminar, Valchev noted that BTA follows established rules to ensure the reliability of its information. The agency applies specific standards to both the format and content of its freely distributed news, as well as to the ethical behavior of its staff. Press releases and journalistic content are clearly separated. BTA does not publish advertisements on its website, Valchev said in his presentation.
The agency operates 43 national press clubs that also function as correspondent offices. Of these, 27 are located in provincial centers, six in major towns outside these centers, and others in the capitals of neighboring countries such as Ankara, Belgrade, Bucharest, and Skopje. An office is planned in Athens by the end of the year. BTA maintains a presence in regions abroad with significant Bulgarian communities, including Bosilegrad, Odesa, and Taraclia, as well as at the St Kliment Ohridski base on Livingston Island, Antarctica, and on board the Bulgarian research vessel Sts Cyril and Methodius.
Valchev said that the 20th World Meeting of Bulgarian Media, organized by BTA, began in Sofia on May 24. Last year’s event took place in Ukraine, in Odesa, Bolhrad, and Izmail. He mentioned that the Bulgarian community in the Odesa region numbers over 150,000, making it the third largest ethnic group in the area. BTA media events in Taraclia and Odesa also provide support and information to Bulgarians experiencing challenges abroad.
He noted the importance of these world media gatherings, initiated in 2005 by longtime BTA director Maxim Minchev, in fostering a sense of community among Bulgarian journalists both domestically and internationally. To date, BTA has organized 20 such events, with the most recent held in Sofia and Varshets.
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