Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Georgi Purvanov met Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg on Tuesday to brief him about the situation in Macedonia.

"Bulgaria's support should be expressed in specific, predominantly economic projects," said Purvanov after the hour-long meeting. Branko Crvenkovski, chairman of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia, invited Purvanov to Skopje last week. He also met Ilijas Halili, deputy chairman of the Macedonian Parliament, who is also deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Albanians.

Purvanov said that Macedonia expects more moral support. He also said that he gave Saxe-Coburg a personal message from the Macedonian Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski. The socialist leader added that the NATO operation Essential Harvest could not guarantee peace, but could at least lead to stability. The issue of military assistance is not on the agenda, said Purvanov.

He added that for the last four to five years, relations between the two countries had been in the form of declarations. Purvanov said that Greece already has 20 projects with Macedonia and he asked where Bulgaria's Macedonian projects were.

Purvanov and Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg did not discuss the upcoming presidential elections in Bulgaria, neither did they comment on a mutual candidate.

The socialist leader also said that the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) is acting improperly. He was referring to the UDF's declaration that any change in the Bulgarian position on Macedonia should be co-ordinated after a debate in Parliament and after consultations with the president. The declaration said that Purvanov voiced the views of anti-Bulgarian circles in Macedonia which are part of the whole campaign against Bulgaria and NATO involvement with Macedonia.

Purvanov said that the UDF was using the issue of Macedonia for its internal political goals.

The 38th National Assembly had approved a number of declarations and decisions on the situation in Macedonia with a consensus, and the President's Consultative Council on National Security had issued a joint declaration at its latest meeting, said the UDF press office. Purvanov discussed the construction of the railway connection between Kyustendil, Skopje and Gyueshevo with the Macedonian prime minister as well as more active contacts between institutions of the two countries.

Purvanov also said that Bulgaria had problems at its Skopje embassy, primarily with finances and staff.