The defense ministries of Bulgaria and Latvia will hold consultations on the countries' participation in international peacekeeping missions, their heads of state decided on Monday.

The situation in Iraq has occupied the top of agenda of talks between Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga and her Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov who is on a two-day official visit to the Baltic state, the first ever of a Bulgarian president there.

As fresh allies within NATO since April 2004, Sofia and Riga conferred over the possibilities to establish a special fund to subside the military missions of the two countries abroad.

The Latvian President has assured Georgi Parvanov that her country will ratify the EU accession treaty of Bulgaria, due to be signed April 25, once its official translation into Latvian is ready.

The two heads of state believed it was important to support Iraq on its path to independence and democracy.

A bilateral agreement in the field of education, science and culture was signed on the first day of the Latvian visit of Bulgarian delegation, which includes also representatives from 29 Bulgarian companies.

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