President of the European Commission

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev is on a two-day visit to Brussels where he is to meet the country's reigning monarch and to take part in a political conference.

The head of state is to attend an event of the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) on Thursday and Friday, his press office has said.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has urged the SYRIZA-led coalition to abide by the commitments made by the country's previous governments.

Commenting on the debt swap proposals by Greek Finance Minister Varoufakis, ALDE Group leader Guy Verhofstadt said

"We first want to see serious and concrete structural reform plans from the Greek government before the EU can possibly enter into any negotiations on debt relief."

Recent elections in Greece, won by leftist SYRIZA party, have not changed the fact that the debt-wracked nation must respect its commitments, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has said.

AGERPRES special correspondent Florentina Peia reports: President Klaus Iohannis answered a media question about the South Stream gas pipeline on Thursday by saying Romania will seek new opportunities for consolidating its energy independence and for connecting to the European energy systems.

Photo credit: (c) ALEX MICSIK/ AGERPRES FLOW

President Traian Basescu said on Thursday that the Government may obtain derogation from the European Commission to increase the defence budget by 0.3 percent if it submits a "solid documentation"; he also said he would inform European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker of this matter.

SYRIZA MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis has called on European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to explain himself over comments favouring the current government, accusing the former Luxembourg prime minister of “political intervention” in Greece.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Britain's prime minister David Cameron on the discrimination against workers from other EU countries.

"Serbia belongs in EU," says former EC chief

BELGRADE -- Serbia "should be in the EU and the reforms introduced by the government of PM Aleksandar Vucic are in the interest of the citizens, with or without the EU."

This is according to former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

BELGRADE - Serbia should be in the European Union and the reforms introduced by the government of Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic are in the interest of the citizens, with or without the EU, former European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso has said.