December 14, 1897: Bulgarian News Agency Is Established by Princely Decree 2025

Balgarianovinite.com One hundred and twenty-eight years ago on Sunday, the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) was established by Decree No. 150, issued by Prince Ferdinand I on December 14 (New Style December 26), 1897), as an international-news-wire delivery service. Initially designated “Division of Press and of the Library”, the agency was part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship.
BTA’s founding instrument – the Rules of Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship, was promulgated in the State Gazette No. 288 of December 31, 1897 (New Style January 12, 1898).
Order No. 28, issued on January 27/February 8, 1898 and gazetted on February 24/March 8, 1898, made public the establishment of the Bulgarian News Agency and the appointment of its first director, Oskar Iskender, with an annual salary of 5,580 leva.
The news agency celebrates its birthday on February 16 – the date in 1898 (New Style February 28) when it put out its first news bulletin, hand-written by Iskender himself.
Following is a translation of relevant excerpts from the original text of the princely decree and the Rules that it endorsed:
DECREE No. 150
WE, FERDINAND I,
By the Grace of Good and by the Will of the People
Prince of Bulgaria,
Further to the proposal by our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship, made to use by his report of November 12 this year under No. 12700,
Have decreed and do decree:
I. To endorse as hereinbelow set forth:
Rules of Organization of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship.
Chapter I.
General Dispositions.
Article 1. The Head Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship shall consist of:
(a) Central Administration;
(b) Diplomatic Department;
(c) Department of Commercial Agents;
(d) Department of Public Worship (Article 42 of the Constitution and the Statute of the Exarchate).
These departments shall be placed under the authority of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship, who shall have supreme governance and shall exercise control over international intercourse.
Article 2. The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship shall hold the following exclusive prerogatives: to direct the intercourse of Bulgaria with other States, to conduct negotiations for the conclusion of treaties and conventions of any nature whatsoever with foreign States, and to interpret the said treaties and conventions.
Chapter II.
Central Administration.
Article 3. The Central Administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship shall consist of:
(a) Secretariat General;
(b) Directorate of Diplomatic Correspondence and Ceremonial;
(c) Political Division;
(d) Commercial Division and Chancellery;
(e) Division of Press and of the Library;
(f) Division of Public Worship;
(g) Accounting Division.
[…]
Division of Press and Library
Article 14. The Division of Press and of the Library shall be engaged with a review of the newspapers and of the periodical magazines and in general with the discharge of all duties provided for in Order No. 46 (Annex C).
With regard to the library, the Division of Press and of the Library shall comply with the existing rules for this purpose (Annex D).
[…]
II. These Rules shall enter into force as from the date of the publication thereof in the State Gazette.
We entrust the execution of this Decree to our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship.
Issued at Our Palace in Sofia, this 14th day of December 1897.
The original signed in His Royal Highness’s own hand:
Ferdinand.
Countersigned by: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Public Worship,
Dr Konstantin Stoilov. December 14, 1897: Bulgarian News Agency Is Established by Princely Decree 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-14 16:05:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law