Ukrainian Foreign Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko and Bulgaria's Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev have discussed the trade-economic and cultural-humanitarian cooperation between their two respective countries.

Ukrainian News learned this from a statement by the press service of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Ohryzko and Stanishev met on Tuesday as part of the Ukrainian foreign minister's official visit to Bulgaria.

Ohryzko said Ukraine wanted to further step up the political dialogue with Bulgaria and voiced a hope there would be mutual visits at the top level in 2008.

Foreign Minister Ohryzko said the potential of the relations between Ukraine and Bulgaria was great in the transport sector, in the energy sector and investment. He said it was necessary to prepare a meeting of the bilateral commission for trade and economic cooperation.

Prime Minister Stanishev agreed with the necessity to give additional impetus to the bilateral cooperation and marked the Ukrainian contribution to the deepening of the cooperation among the countries of the Black Sea region.

Ohryzko thanked Stanishev for persistent support of Bulgaria to Ukraine's aspirations to join the European Union and NATO and the support to the recognition of the Holodomor great famine in Ukraine in 1932-1933 as an act of genocide against the Ukrainian people.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Foreign Affairs Minister Volodymyr Ohryzko and Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov have discussed prospects for Ukrainian-Bulgarian economic cooperation.

Ohryzko traveled to Bulgaria on Tuesday to meet with the authorities of that country.