Nickolay Mladenov: The Balkan diplomat who could be UAE's man in Gaza In November, protestors in Bulgaria were mobilising to topple their government over corruption and a cost-of-living crisis. Meanwhile, in Abu Dhabi, one of the Balkan country's former foreign ministers was heralding “groundbreaking” talks on an economic deal between the European Union and the UAE . The former Bulgarian diplomat and defence minister, Nickolay Mladenov, is now being eyed to serve as the top official in Gaza working on behalf of US President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”. His name is circulating as an alternative to Tony Blair, the former UK prime minister, whose name drew such widespread condemnation that it forced the US and Israel to seek alternatives. The contrast between the political paralysis in Mladenov’s home country and his life in the Gulf shows how he tried to carve out his own elite niche in the Middle East and earned high marks serving as United Nations envoy for Middle East peace. Read more: Nickolay Mladenov: The Balkan diplomat who could be UAE's man in Gaza