Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov assured UNESCO's Director-General Irina Bokova that she can rely on the government's support for her nomination as UN Secretary-General on Friday.

Bokova was nominated by the government of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski in June 2014, electronic daily Dnevnik reminds.

A week later, during the consultations for the date of the early parliamentary elections, Borisov angered that the then government had not discussed Bokova's nomination with him.

The mandate of the incumbent UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expires on 31 December 2016.

Borisov and Bokova condemned the Charlie Hebdo shooting as an attack against freedom of speech and expressed hope that the international community will work together against the threats to peace and security.

The two discussed the marking of UNESCO's 70^th anniversary and the organisation's cooperation with Bulgaria.

Borisov and Bokova discussed projects such as the restoration of the Great Basilica in Pliska, excavation works at the Perperikon complex, the preservation of the Trapezitsa fortress, and the National Museum Complex.

Later on Friday, there was a meeting between Bokova and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevnelivev, at which the two presented a common stance that freedom of media is among the most important values of contemporary democratic societies and no act of terror could change this.

Both of them made it certain that the terrorist attack against the office of the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo was a barbarian and inhumane act of violence.

Bokova highlighted that the shooting, which took place on January 7, was an attack on UNESCO as it is the only UN organisation engaged directly with safeguarding the freedom of speech, independence of the media, and safety of journalists.

Following their meeting, Plevneliev and Bokova visited the French embassy in Sofia, where they expressed their condolences and sympathy with the French nation.