New Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, who is on his first international visit, met Thursday European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

"We need a stronger and more effective EU. More Europe means, among other things, a better developed Bulgaria," stated Plevneliev after the meeting.

The Bulgarian President also vowed to work hard at achieving swift results in the areas of justice and home affairs, in which Bulgaria is placed under the EU's so-called Co-operation and Verification Mechanism.

"I am greatly impressed of the pragmatic and pro-European program of Bulgaria's new President," said on his part the EC President Barroso.

The two leaders also discussed Bulgaria's stalled accession to the Schengen treaty, upon which Barroso expressed the EC's "full support" of a Bulgarian Schengen entry.

Accession has been blocked by countries such as the Netherlands and Finland, which, following France and Germany, have raised worries relating to corruption and organized crime in Schengen applicants Bulgaria and Romania.

"The Commission has always being clearly stating that it is viewing Schengen and the Co-operation and Verification Mechanism as two separate things that should not be influencing each other," commented Barroso.

He was resolute that the rules of the Mechanism do not stand to be changed, at least until a full evaluation of the 5 years of its implementation is issued over the summer.

Bulgarian President Plevneliev expressed his gratitude for Barroso's support for Bulgaria's Schengen membership.

Earlier Thursday Plevneliev met with European Parliament President Martin Schultz and Bulgarian MEPs.

In Brussels, Plevneliev and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen further discussed what they both saw as the fruitful membership of Bulgaria in the Alliance.