Atanas Zapryanov
Republic of Bulgaria
Deputy Minister of Defence
Lieutenant General Atanas Zapryanov (Ret.)
Lieutenant General Atanas Zapryanov (Ret.) was born on 16 April 1950 in the village of Dragoynovo, Plovdiv District. In 1965, he graduated from the specialized high school in mechanical engineering in the town of Plovdiv. In 1974, Atanas Zapryanov graduated from Vassil Levski military school of higher education in Veliko Turnovo as diploma engineer, earning a Master’s degree in the specialty Signal Troops. He was distinguished as the best graduate ranking first among the alumni of the year at the military school. In 1982, he earned a Master’s degree in military science and warfare at Budyoni Military Academy of Communications, Saint Petersburg, Russia, from which he graduated, earning a gold medal for his high academic achievements and an excellent–grades diploma. He earned a Master of Science degree in Strategic Management of the Armed Forces at the General-Staff Faculty of the G. S. Rakovski National Defence Academy, from which he graduated in 1995.
In his academic and professional career as a military officer of the Bulgarian armed forces, in 2001 Atanas Zapryanov completed Senior Information Manager Course and a Manager in Information Protection Infrastructure Course at the Information Resources Management College to the National Defense University, Washington, USA, where he was nominated as an alumnus of honor in the College’s Hall of Fame for high achievements earned during his military service. Atanas Zapryanov also completed the Senior Course at NATO Defence College in Rome, Italy.
In the course of his military career, Lieutenant General Atanas Zapryanov has held different command and staff positions in the Signal troops of the Bulgarian army: platoon commander, company commander, deputy battalion commander, chief of staff and deputy commander of 95th signal regiment of Second army in Plovdiv, department senior assistant to the department head at the Land Forces Command, department head, chief of staff, deputy director and director of Signal Troops Directorate to the General Staff of the Bulgarian Army (until 2002). As a senior military officer, he also held the positions Commandant of G. S. Rakovski National Defence Academy, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Bulgarian Army for resources until 2006, and a military representative of the Chief of General Staff at NATO military committees and the European Union (until 2010).
After joining the military reserve, since 2010, he has been a counselor to two political cabinets of the Minister of Defence (until 2013) and since 2015 until July 2016, Deputy Minister of Defence since July 2016 until 30 January 2017.
Lieutenant General Atanas Zapryanov (Ret.) has been awarded multiple times for excellent military service and high professional results; he was awarded For Military Merit Order, First Degree.
Deputy Minister of Defence LTG Atanas Zapryanov (ret.) speaks English and Russian.
He is married and has two children.