Spain will continue to back Bulgaria's efforts to join the Union, said Spanish Ambassador here Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin in a public lecture, "Priorities and Challenges before the Spanish Presidency of the European Union". Bulgarian Foreign Minister Passy and the ambassadors of the EU member states discussed at a working lunch in the Spanish Ambassador's residence Bulgaria's problems and fears in connection with its bid for EU membership. The occasion for the two-hour meeting was Spain's taking over the rotating presidency of the EU. "We told the ambassadors frankly that if the 10-plus-2 formula for the accession of new countries to the EU is applied Bulgaria will be placed in a difficult position and will have to hold talks with 25 instead of 15 countries," said Stanimir Ilchev, chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Policy, Defense and Security said. The meeting did not discuss any new time frames for Bulgaria's accession to the EU, Foreign Minister Passy said. Bulgaria counts on Spain's support in the accession talks during its presidency of the EU, Passy added.