Ivo Indzhev: My Time Was Panayot Denev’s Time Too, Because We Were a Team

Petya Petrova, Vanya Suharova

Former BTA Director General Ivo Indzhev (BTA Photo/Milena Stoykova)

Sofia,

15.10.2025 19:34

(BTA)

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“The time of Ivo Indzhev was also the time of Panayot Denev, because we were a team. I’d even say that during that time - before the era shaped by Panayot Denev’s rules - we were the ones breaking the old rules. There are witnesses here who can attest to just how many rules we broke,” said former Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) Director General Ivo Indzhev (1990 to 1993), during the launch of the agency’s English-language historical overview “125 Years Bulgarian News Agency. The Real News: Stories On File 1898–2023.”

The event also marked the 80th birthday of Panayot Denev, BTA’s Director General from 1997 to 2002, and the 70th birthday of Ivo Indzhev.

“I could tell many stories - and add quite a bit to Panayot Denev’s,” Indzhev noted.

Panayot Denev recalled that it was Indzhev, Stefan Kozhuharov, and himself who made the decision to close all BTA’s foreign correspondent bureaus.

“I called Foreign Minister Viktor Valkov to inform him what had happened. He was silent for several seconds, then simply said: ‘Well, what can you do? That’s the way things are these days,’” Indzhev added.

Denev clarified that at the time, funding for the correspondent bureaus had been cut, leaving them with little choice.

/DS/