SOFIA, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his visiting Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar said here on Friday they wanted a strong and secure Europe.

"We are for a stable, united and strong Europe," Borissov said after bilateral talks. He believed that all difficulties would be overcome by will and desire.

Borissov also said his country would have Ireland as its good friend and supporter during Bulgaria's six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) which began on Monday.

"I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate PM Borissov on his ambitious Presidency Programme, the preparations to date and to assure him of Ireland's commitment to working with you and your team in making it a success," Varadkar said in turn.

The slogan of Bulgaria's EU Presidency, "United We Stand Strong", and the key themes of "Consensus, Competitiveness and Cohesion" captured very well the essential needs of the EU at this time, Varadkar said.

Meanwhile, he said Bulgaria sees the EU as the route to development and prosperity and Ireland will continue to support the Balkan country on this journey.

"Improving Europe's economic competitiveness and also ensuring that Europe is equipped with a budget to meet the challenges of the future are vital," Varadkar also said.