Bulgaria fully supports the European integration of countries in Southeastern Europe, Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said during a visit to Croatia.

Stanishev met his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader, president Stjepan Mesic and parliament speaker Vladimir Šeks.

Romania’s and Bulgaria’s EU entry gave the Balkan region new political structure, Stanishev said. Western Balkans already neighbour only EU member states. Bulgaria will work for the stability, prosperity and democratic development of the region, he said.

Sanader said that Bulgaria’s support for Croatia’s NATO and EU membership has been consistent. Croatia expects invitation for NATO membership in 2008. The country is to finalise EU accession talks in 2009.

Bulgaria relied on Croatia’s support to deal with the closure of units three and four of Kozloduy nuclear power plant. Reactor closure was one of the conditions for Bulgaria’s EU accession.

The closure of the units directly affected the stability of the Balkan region as Bulgaria had to cut its electricity export to neighbouring countries, Stanishev said.

Kosovo’s status and the fate of the five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death for intentional HIV infection in Libya were among the other topics of discussion.