Unaffected by the news of the plane crash in Queens on Monday, Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg left Tuesday for New York to take part in the debates of the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly. Saxe-Coburg was expected to deliver a speech to the session.

The prime minister left aboard a regular Austrian Airlines flight. Before departing at Sofia Airport, he said that his itinerary for the visit had not been changed in the wake of the crash, and he hoped his speech at the UN would turn the attention of the world leaders on Bulgaria.

Late on Tuesday, Saxe-Coburg attended a dinner given by French Foreign Minister Hubert Vedrine. On Wednesday, he had meetings scheduled with U.S. businessmen at the initiative of the Business Council for International Understanding. Talks were also planned with Han Seung-soo, President of the 56th session of the UN General Assembly and South Korean minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade.

Returning from Budapest on Monday, prior to his U.S. trip, Saxe-Coburg described the contacts he established during his visit to the Hungarian capital as very useful and positive. He was in Budapest from Friday to Sunday for the 25th European meeting of the Trilateral Commission.

"The future of Bulgaria as a member of the European Union is its natural and irrevocable final aim. Bulgaria will contribute effectively to the integration of the continent, and its accession to the union will yield a series of positive results for both sides," the Bulgarian PM said to the members of the Trilateral Commission on Saturday.

Saxe-Coburg noted that the September 11 terrorist attacks resulted in a dramatic rearrangement of the world's priorities, and stressed that now the countries should combine their efforts to strengthen peace, security and well being, and rapidly build the EU. "The time has come for a united Europe," he stressed.

Bulgaria is determined to join the EU, he said, and traced the country's progress toward European integration so far. The process of accession gives an additional impetus to the political and economic reforms in Bulgaria, he said, noting that to bring the accession talks to a successful end, both Bulgaria and the EU should make permanent efforts. He assured the participants in the meeting that Bulgaria is dedicated to catching up with the achievements of its European partners in the coming years.

During his meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, Saxe-Coburg urged for particular projects in order to promote bilateral ties, especially economic relations. After the meeting, he thanked Hungary for backing Bulgaria's bid to enter NATO.