Bulgarian Ambassador Marinela Petkova culminated her time as an alumni scholar with a presentation to the Marshall Center on Sept. 4, 2025. With more than 20 years of diplomatic service, Petkova has represented Bulgaria in Washington, D.C., across Southeast Asia, and most recently as ambassador to the Philippines. She now serves as head of the East Asia Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

During her scholar residency, Petkova presented original research on how strategic competition is being instrumentalized in the Global South, particularly through the activities of major powers and the role of regional organizations. She analyzed how states use platforms such as BRICS to amplify influence, reshape norms like sovereignty and non-interference, and gain leverage in global affairs.

Her findings emphasized the importance of deterrence strategies that extend beyond military measures.  

“Deterrence cannot rely on military tools alone – credibility, capability, and communication are central to influencing behavior,” she said, warning that Western responses must be consistent and reliable. “Poorly executed responses to global competition only widen the arena in which great powers compete, reducing our effectiveness in managing an already complex security environment.”

Reflecting on her time at the Marshall Center, Petkova noted the value of stepping out of daily diplomacy to pursue deeper research.

“The Marshall Center gave me the space to step back from daily diplomacy, test ideas with experts, and turn experience into policy-relevant research,” she said.

Now in its 21st year, the Alumni Scholars Program exemplifies the Marshall Center’s power to convene practitioners and researchers from across the globe to address pressing security challenges and provide policy-relevant insights for transatlantic partners. Petkova is the third alumni scholar from Bulgaria and the 119th alumni in the program overall.  

“We are grateful for Ambassador Petkova’s contribution. Her analysis is rigorous, policy-relevant, and exactly the kind of scholarship the Alumni Scholars Program was designed to foster,” said Bernard Finel, dean of the Marshall Center College of International Security Studies.