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Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin showed his softer side when his Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov presented him with a furry gift - a Bulgarian Shepherd puppy. Photo by Sofia Photo Agency
By BBC
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has been presented with a puppy during a trip to Bulgaria to sign a gas deal.
During his visit, the two countries agreed to speed up the construction of a 2,200 mile (3,600km) pipeline to carry Russian gas to Europe.
After the agreement was signed, he was given a Karakachan sheepdog by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
Mr Putin already has a labrador named Connie, and he was given a Siberian tiger cub for his birthday in 2008.
The image contrasts with earlier photographs of a more macho prime minister shooting a Siberian tiger, fishing, and riding on horseback.
'Europe-wide importance'
The deal to build the pipeline known as South Stream will enable Russia to bypass Ukraine, by sending gas under the Black Sea.
Mr Putin said the pipeline was of "Europe-wide importance" and he underlined French and Italian involvement in the project.
Bulgaria is also involved in the rival EU-backed Nabucco pipeline which is intended to reduce Europe's reliance on Russia's natural gas.
Opponents of the Russian deal in Bulgaria argue it will allow Moscow to impose its interests on Sofia.
Moldovan President Maia Sandu has formally enacted legislation withdrawing the country from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), marking a decisive step in Chisinau’s gradual disengagement from Russian-led structures
Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles targeted Russian military assets in the Black Sea port city of Novorossiysk during a night-time operation between April 5 and 6
The Russian Embassy in Sofia has circulated a warning issued by the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, cautioning its citizens about what it describes as a heightened risk of detention abroad at the request of US authorities
A police operation in Burgas has led to the discovery of a significant quantity of ammunition and a weapon equipped with optics in a residential property in the Ostritsata-2 area, near the Banevo district.
The United States has allowed a Russian oil tanker to proceed to Cuba, despite the broader pressure campaign against the island’s energy supplies, according to reports citing American officials familiar with the situation
Romania’s Ministry of National Defense has confirmed that a military drone crossed into Romanian airspace and later crashed, after being diverted during Ukrainian air defense activity
Brazen Bulgarian gangs "terrorise the elderly and rob them over their life savings with increasingly aggressive phone scams nettling millions of euros," according to an AFP story.
The prospect of US President Donald Trump's moving closer to Russia has scrambled the strategy of "balancing East and West" used for decades by countries like Bulgaria, the New York Times says.
Bulgarians have benefited a lot from their EU membership, with incomes rising and Brussels overseeing politicians, according to a New York Times piece.
German businesses prefer to trade with Bulgaria rather than invest into the country, an article on DW Bulgaria's website argues.
The truth about Bulgaria and Moldova's presidential elections is "more complicated" and should not be reduced to pro-Russian candidates winning, the Economist says.
President-elect Rumen Radev "struck a chord with voters by attacking the status quo and stressing issues like national security and migration," AFP agency writes after the presidential vote on Sunday.
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