SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarian journalist Maxim Minchev, who was at the helm of the Bulgarian news agency BTA, passed away Sunday at 67.

The agency did not state a cause of death, saying only that he died after a short illness. Other Bulgarian media said last week Minchev had been taken to the hospital with COVID-19 symptoms.

Minchev worked as a radio journalist at Bulgarian national radio and Radio Free Europe before being appointed director-general of BTA in 2003.

In 2016, he was elected secretary-general of the News Agencies World Congress and president of the Association of Balkan News Agencies.

A passionate globetrotter, he wrote down his impressions from countries around the world in numerous books.

Minchev is survived by his wife and his son.