Prime Ministers of Bulgaria

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has sent a letter to Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov saying he is taking on the commitment to bolstering the security of Bulgaria's external border, the Commission representation in Sofia has said.

The decision will be formalized at an EU summit in Bratislava scheduled for September 16, Juncker is quoted as saying.

UNESCO head Irina Bokova is Bulgaria's single UN Secretary General candidate, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said.

However, he has added the government may only continue backing her candidacy if on September 26 she is not "among the first two candidates".

Bulgaria's government is to hold a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, a day ahead of schedule, amid speculation whether it will choose to nominate EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva as its official candidate for UN chief.

Sofia District Governor Veselin Penev has refuted claims that Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov had tried to pressure him into resigning.

Penev's resignation follows revelations from the opposition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) that earlier this summer he sold state property in the center of Sofia at a price of BGN 90 per sq m.

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov had a meeting with the Special Envoy of the General Secretary of the UN on youth employment Werner Faymann. Ensuring a higher quality of life for young people in Bulgaria, as well as overcoming youth unemployment and guaranteeing quality education are among the main priorities of the Bulgarian government, emphasised Borissov.

A EU Commission official has said Brussels stands ready to get involved in any kind of negotiations over Sofia's gas hub project.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Monday called on Brussels and Moscow to sit at the table with Sofia officials and discuss the prospects ot carry out a gas hub project on Bulgarian territory.

Bulgaria is celebrating on Tuesday its Unification Day, with festive events expected throughout the country but mostly in Plovdiv, the second-biggest city.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has appointed Ivaylo Ivanov as Deputy Labour Minister, the government's press service informed on Friday.

Ivanov holds Master's degree in Finance and Credit from the Academy of Economics in Svishtov and Master in Law from the South-west University in Blagoevgrad.

Bulgarian MPs rejected a proposal of the opposition Socialist Party, which would have tasked Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Foreign Minister Daniel Mitov with asking the European Council to remove Russian MPs from the EU travel black lists.

The black list was drawn up in protest against Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.