U.S. President George Bush thanked Bulgaria during his meeting with the visiting Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev for its contribution to securing freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan, BTA reported Wednesday.

After meeting with Stanishev who was on the last day of his official visit to the United States at the White House on Wednesday, Bush told journalists he was aware of the difficulties involved in this contribution and specially thanked the Bulgarian people for these sacrifices.

Bush also said the two found they shared a common concern - energy, and discussed ways to have more energy in the market, and the diversification of energy sources in a world where demand exceeds supply.

In this context, Stanishev talked about the advantages of nuclear fuel.

The two talked about the lifting of the U.S. visa requirement for Bulgarians. The U.S. President said he was fully aware of the Bulgarians' concern about visas because the two countries are part of a coalition. He emphasized the prime minister's efforts for the signing of the Visa Waiver Program Interim Declaration on Tuesday, which is a major step towards the lifting of the visa requirement.

President Bush also highly commended the fight against organized crime and corruption in Bulgaria. He said that while corruption does exist in the United States, but when such a case is uncovered, the culprits are brought to justice. He stressed there should not be a society in which the minority benefits at the expense of the majority.

Photo: Council of Ministers