Bulgarian, German President 'Share Concerns over Russia'

Germany's President Joachim Gauck shares his Bulgarian counterpart Rosen Plevneliev's concerns over Russia's "aggressive" policy, President Plevneliev declared.

"Europe should return to to the foundations of foreign policy as we have known it after WWII, namely - everyone follows the rules, everyone respects the rule of law," as Dnevnik.bg quoted him as saying after meeting Gauck on Thursday.

Plevneliev is on a two-day visit to Berlin, and Ukraine was the main issue in the two heads of state's conversation.

"Borders in Europe cannot be redrawn unilaterally [and] by force. What has happened in Crimea is not normal and we have a duty to show our position very clearly," Bulgaria's President added.

He believes every country, Russia and the EU included, should put effort to give a chance to Ukraine's people to build its future through fair elections and to decide whether the country should head toward federalization or centralization. Another key point in his position is that the EU should speak with a "strong and unified" voice on the Ukraine crisis.

Upcoming EU elections and prospects of EU enlargement were also among issues discussed between Joachim Gauck and Rosen Plevneliev. The Bulgarian head of state stressed the importance of Western Balkans' integration into the union, "especially having in mind the Ukraine crisis".

On Friday, Plevneliev is also to hold a press conference regarding Bulgaria's place in South-Eastern Europe in the frame of developments in Ukraine.

Further on his visit he is to meet Germany's Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and the region of Baden Wuerttemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann.

On Friday he is also due to attend the ceremony...