After a period of difficulties, Bulgaria and Russia are now developing good relations, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said in a lecture to students at Lomonosov State University in Moscow.

Stanishev is on a two-day visit to Russia at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Mihail Fradkov.

Mutual economic interest and excellent cultural and human relations were main factors in the ties between the two countries, he said, according to a Government media statement.

The strong foundation of Bulgarian-Russian relations would help Bulgaria establish its own profile in the EU.

Bulgaria will be an active partner in the contacts between Russia and the EU. Russia needed EU’s partnership, while it was important for the union to have ‘predictable’ relations with Russia, Stanishev said.