We welcome any initiatives aimed at strengthening and reinforcing the foundations of the European Union as a key factor for peace and understanding between peoples. This is what Bulgarian President Rossen Plevneliev, who is on an official visit to Ljubljana, said during a joint press conference with President of Slovenia Borut Pahor. Bulgaria and Slovenia are factors of peace and prosperity in Southeast Europe, Plevneliev added. Commenting on recent events in Turkey, the Bulgarian head of state said that the European Union must help Bulgaria’s southern neighbor to preserve normal functioning of institutions and the rule of law. He called on Europe to act more decisively in resolving conflicts in the Middle East and Northern Africa and to overcome the crisis related to migration pressure at the external borders of the EU. In response to a journalist's question Plevneliev said that Bulgaria, along with Romania, would insist on a clear plan for lifting Canadian visas for Bulgarian citizens. This issue can be linked with negotiations over signing Free Trade Agreement between EU and Canada, Plevneliev added.