"I am Obama. I am Merkel. I am Gauck. I have learned a lot from them and am proud of my friendship with them. I am also proud of my friendship with Borisov, because I learned a lot from him."

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in an interview with daily 24 Chasa, just before leaving office on January 22.

Discussing his close ties to the "global" families of world leaders - including US President Barack Obama, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and German President Joachim Gauck, Plevneliev has also pointed to his good relations with Bulgaria's outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, speaking of the high level of "trust" between them.

Plevneliev has described himself as the only Bulgarian head of state who at the end of his term still keeps good relations with the party that nominated.