The US supported the freedom of the five Bulgarian nurses sentenced to death in Libya and Libyan authorities were aware of this position, US president George W. Bush told a press conference.

Bush is on a two-day visit to Bulgaria. After meeting his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Purvanov, the two gave a joint press conference.

US would put all its effort in finding a just solution to the case, Bush said. The country will also provide aid for the treatment of the children infected with HIV in Libya.

“We are committed and send a strong message to Libya,” Bush said. The US also understood the scale of the tragedy that the families of the infected children were going through, he said.

During the talks, the two officials addressed a number of other issues among which US investment in Bulgaria, defence co-operation and the opportunities for visa-free travel between the two countries.

Purvanov said that Bush’s visit was strong indication that the relations between the two countries have never been better. To aid business co-operation Bulgaria was going to present itself more clearly as an investment opportunity.

The US on the other hand could aid the country through participation in energy projects, Purvanov said. Bush said that the US was willing to work on the diversification of energy resources used.

Bush thanked Bulgaria for its participation in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

The positioning of the US anti-missile shield throughout Europe was also discussed. Bush said that he talked about the project with Russian president Vladimir Putin during the G8 summit in Germany.

US sees Russia as a friend and has invited it to take part in defence projects, Bush said. Expert groups from the two countries will work on co-operation opportunities, he said.