Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma signed several agreements during his two-day visit to Bulgaria.

He arrived on Tuesday and signed six bilateral documents. Priorities were co-operation with fighting crime and efforts to halt the smuggling of immigrants. Other documents covered agreements on the re-admission of foreigners, co-operation in crime control, and on the transit of Ukrainian KFOR troops via Bulgaria. A working plan on co-operation between the two foreign ministries, and an agreement on co-operation between the customs administrations were also signed.

The Ukrainian leader urged Bulgaria not to introduce visas for Ukrainians. The issue of the introduction of a visa regime between Ukraine and Bulgaria was the main issue of talks between Kuchma and President Petar Stoyanov on Tuesday. The two presidents failed to clarify when border controls would be tightened.

The visit included a talk between the two presidents and talks between the official delegations. "Ukraine welcomes NATO and European Union moves to settle the conflict in Macedonia and is ready to contribute to the development of this process," said Kuchma at a press conference on Tuesday.

Kuchma said that Ukraine agreed with Bulgaria's position on Macedonia. "Macedonia is a sovereign state and a UN member," he said. "The world should acknowledge the independence of Macedonia and discern between terrorism and the protection of national interests," he added.

Stoyanov said that the conflict in Macedonia should not be solved by military means. Bulgaria supports the recently signed agreement between the Macedonian government and the Albanian separatists. Stoyanov said that Bulgaria was in favour of "the unconditional and full disarmament of Albanian terrorist groups." During the talks with Kuchma, the two sides once again confirmed the territorial integrity and independence of Macedonia.

Bulgaria, Ukraine and other eastern European countries are believed to be major suppliers and transit routes for the trafficking of illegal migrants and women for the sex trade. They are also plagued by the spread of organized crime. A meeting with 100 Bulgarian company executives that have business relations with Ukrainian partners was one of the key events of Kuchma's visit.

The Ukrainian president was accompanied by his wife and several Ukrainian ministers.

The energy sector is one of the key areas of co-operation between both countries. Bulgaria has been receiving natural gas under the Yamburg Agreement, signed in 1986 between Bulgaria and the then Soviet Union. Under the agreement, which expires in 2010, Russian natural gas is supplied via Ukraine to Bulgaria at lower-than-market prices. This is in return for Bulgarian investment in the Yamburg gasfield and for construction work on its pipeline to the western border of the Soviet Union.

Kuchma last made a state visit to Bulgaria in March 1998. At that time the Ukrainian head of state officially declared his country's willingness to maintain a strategic partnership with Bulgaria. The countries signed a joint declaration on further co-operation. Stoyanov paid a return visit in June 1999.