First Reaction from Bulgarian Diplomat Nickolay Mladenov Following His Appointment as High Representative for Gaza

The Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov has officially been appointed as the High Representative for Gaza.

In a post on Facebook on January 18, he wrote that it is both an honour and a great responsibility for him to take on a role in the Board of Peace, working closely with the Transitional Palestinian Administration.

According to him, the establishment of the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza is a key element for achieving peace in the Gaza Strip.

Mladenov expressed his gratitude to President Donald Trump “for his bold leadership and decisive diplomacy, which made this possible”, as well as for the continued support of the mediators and all partners involved in this process.

"For me, it is an honour and a huge responsibility to have been nominated to assume a role in the Board of Peace and as High Representative for Gaza, working closely with the outstanding Ali Shaath and his strong team from the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). Their establishment is a key element of what is needed to bring peace to the long-suffering Gaza Strip.

"I am especially grateful to President Trump for his bold leadership and decisive diplomacy, which made this possible. Now, as we begin the second phase of the ceasefire, our focus is on advising, supporting and guiding the National Committee so that it can organise immediate humanitarian assistance, restore basic services for the people, and ensure that all weapons in Gaza are under the control of legitimate authority alone. This is essential in order to move towards reconstruction and to pave a sustainable path to lasting peace and prosperity for Palestinians and Israelis," Mladenov said.