Eric Rubin was confirmed by the Senate on December 9, 2015 as President Obama’s nominee for Ambassador to the Republic of Bulgaria and sworn in as Ambassador on January 27, 2016. He was most recently Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs from July 2011 to July 2015. In this capacity he was responsible for issues related to Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and regional conflicts in Europe. Prior to that assignment, he served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow (2008-2011).

A career foreign service officer, Mr. Rubin joined the State Department in 1985 following two years as a reporter trainee at the New York Times. His overseas assignments included working as the political and human rights officer in Honduras (1986-1988), Deputy Political Counselor in Kyiv (1994-1996), and Consul General in Chiang Mai, Thailand (2001-2004).

His Washington assignments include the State Department Operations Center (1989); the Office of Soviet Union Affairs (1989-1991); regional and security affairs officer for Central and Eastern Europe (1991-1993); special assistant to the Assistant Secretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs (1996-1997); Assistant White House Press Secretary for Foreign Affairs and NSC Director for Public Affairs (1997); special assistant to Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Thomas Pickering (1998-1999); Director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination of the State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (2004-2006); and Executive Assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (2006-2008).

Mr. Rubin holds a B.A. in history from Yale University. He was Dean and Virginia Rusk Fellow and a resident associate at Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of Diplomacy from 1999-2000. He speaks Thai, Spanish, French, Ukrainian, and Russian.

Contact Information

Embassy of Bulgaria
1621 22nd St. NW
Washington, DC 20008

Phone: (202) 387-0174
Fax: (202) 234-7973

Website: http://www.webhousing.biz/~bulgaria/index.php
Email: office@bulgaria-embassy.org