The president of France Nicolas Sarkozy will visit Bulgaria today October 4. He was invited by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

The official visit starts with a welcoming ceremony at Alexander Nevsky square. The presidents and their delegations will confer at the President's Administration.

Georgi Parvanov will award Nicolas Sarkozy the Stara Planina order (the highest Bulgarian award). After the ceremony the presidents will give a press conference.

A working lunch is scheduled later today with PM Sergey Stanishev and the National Assebly chairman Georgi Pirinski.

The program of the French president also includes giving a lecture at Sofia University St Kliment Ohridsky and a meeting with Prime Minister Stanishev in the Council of Ministers.

He will also meet the Bulgarian nurses and doctor recently freed from Libiya.