Russia insists that a conference on normalizing the situation on the Balkans be organized soon, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said after the meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Passy. In the opinion of Ivanov the conference would be important for working out legal norms to prevent crisis situations. According to the Russian Foreign Minister, the meeting showed that the stands of Russia and Bulgaria on the situation in the Balkans are very close. He described as technical details the obstacles that still stand in the way of signing the Bulgarian-Russian agreement on relaxed visa regime. Ivanov expressed certainty that the agreement will be signed in February. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Passy underlined that Bulgaria aims to restore all the best in the traditions between the two countries. The importance of the forthcoming bilateral economic committee in Sofia, the situation in Afghanistan as well as a future visit of Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg have also been discussed. The agreement on a relaxed visa regime between the two countries was expected to be sign January 31, but was postponed after the Russian side expressed serious objections to key terms in it. Bulgarian Foreign Minister Passy is in Moscow on a three-day official visit.

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