Bulgaria's spot on the Black Sea makes it a key ally for security in the region. That's what Douglas Holder, President Donald Trump's pick for US ambassador to Sofia, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at his confirmation hearing in Washington yesterday.
As a NATO member, Bulgaria has raised its spending on collective defense, and in 2025 its defense spending topped 2% of GDP, he said.
"If confirmed as ambassador to Bulgaria, protecting American citizens and advancing American interests will be among my top priorities," Holder said. He also listed defense and economic diplomacy among his goals.
If the Senate confirms him, Holder will work with Bulgarian officials to deepen defense cooperation. He'll also track progress on commitments made at the NATO summit in The Hague, whose deadline is 2035. Holder also pledged to strengthen ties between the two countries, boost economic growth and build more people-to-people contacts.
"The United States and Bulgaria have strong economic ties, but we can improve trade links, especially in energy, artificial intelligence and critical minerals," he said. Holder pledged to push American exports and Bulgarian investment in the US to create jobs and opportunities for American workers.
Trump sent the nomination to the Senate on June 1, according to a White House announcement. The post Holder has been nominated for is ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary.
He has worked in the private sector and served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives, later advising companies and organizations in the state. He says his three decades in business, public service and community work have prepared him for the diplomatic post.
The US embassy in Sofia is currently led by chargé d'affaires H. Martin McDowell. Kenneth Merten was the last US ambassador to Bulgaria.
The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1903.