Bulgarian President Georgi Purvanov's official visit to Mexico was cancelled on January 29 because of technical difficulties with the plane in which he and his accompanying delegation were travelling.
The governmental plane, a Tu-154, experienced technical problems shortly after take-off from Lajes airport at the Azores at about 9.30pm on January 29, Focus news agency said. The plane flew circles over the Azores for three hours to use up its fuel and landed safely back at Lajes airport.
Purvanov and his delegation will return to Bulgaria with a Bulgaria Air flight from Lisbon at about 9pm on January 30.
Local media have published two versions of the technical difficulties. The plane was said to have hit a bird which then got into the plane's engine. According to the other version there were technical problems with the plane's landing-gear.
Purvanov's visit to the United Mexican States was scheduled from January 30 until February 1 2008. The visit was at the invitation of Mexican president Felipe Caldern and would have been the first visit of a Bulgarian President to Mexico. The main goal of the visit was to deepen bilateral relations.
The President was accompanied by his wife Zorka Purvanova. Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov, members of parliament Nesrin Ouzoun and Silvia Stoicheva, Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremedchiev and secretaries of Purvanov were part of the official delegation.
