Bulgarian supports Ukraine's path to association to the EU and rapprochement with NATO, President Rosen Plevneliev has said.

Meeting his Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Kiev, he has asserted that his country backs the "sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine" and does not recognize the results of the referendums in Crimea, Donetsk, and Luhansk.

The two have agreed to expand cooperation in energy efficiency and in the use of renewable energy sources.

Bulgaira's head of state has voiced support for visa liberalization for Ukrainian citizens.

He has also called for the swift adoption of legislation regulating the use of minority languagest to allow all minorities to fully integrate in society and the economy.

Different estimates suggest between 250 000 and 300 000 ethnic Bulgarians live in Ukraine, most of them in the country's south.

Plevneliev's press office also informs a visit of Poroshenko to Bulgaria is due later this year.

On Friday, Plevnliev was awarded as "Person of the Year 2015" in Ukraine for his contribution to the defense of the country's integrity, sovereignty and European values. 

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