The Balkans are already free from the contradictions instilled in the region by the Great Powers over the centuries in the words of Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev.

The statement was made during the official visit of the Bulgarian head of state to Serbia Thursday, as reported by BGNES.

At a joint press conference after the meeting, both President Plevneliev and his Serbian couterpart Tomislav Nikolic expressed their satisfaction with the current bilateral relations.

Nikolic emphasized the importance of Corridor 10, while Plevneliev reinstated his support for the EU accession of Serbia and the rest of the countries from the Western Balkans.

Bulgarian President also mentioned the South Stream project put on hold in December 2014 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

''We are currently implementing the preliminary works so that we can be prepared to launch the construction works as soon as Russia and the EU reach agreement on the issue,'' said Plevneliev.

He further commented on the idea for the creation of a gas hub in Bulgaria, proposed by Bulgarian PM Boiko Borisov. The details on whether the project is to be executed still remain unclear and the biggest factor again would be Russia.

Asked about the Bulgarian investments in Serbia, he gave an example with the accomplishments of pharmaceutical company Sofarma and battery manufacturer Monbat.

Asked about the current residence of former bank KTB's Director Tsvetan Vasilev, Serbian President Nikolic stated that any law violations on his part need to be resolved in Bulgaria.

The corporate bank's license has been revoked over the fall of 2014 as internal audit showed it was unable to repay the deposits of its creditors, some of whom were government owned companies and facilities. A destabilization of the national currency, as well as the state budget followed. The banking crisis has largely been deemed the harshest one since the democratic changes in Bulgaria.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, on the other hand, refused to comment on the issue.

After the news conference, he headed to a meeting with Serbian PM Aleksander Vucic.    

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!