Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) welcomes Sergei Shmatko, Russia's Energy Minister at the Energy Summit "Natural Gas for Europe-Security and Partnership" in Sofia, April 24, 2009. European governments and gas consumers must now pledge to back the Nabucco gas pipeline if Europe is to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, an energy security conference in Sofia heard on Friday. Reuters Pictures 7 months ago

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) welcomes Sergei Shmatko, Russia's Energy Minister at the Energy Summit "Natural Gas for Europe-Security and Partnership" in Sofia, April 24, 2009. European governments and gas consumers must now pledge to back the Nabucco gas pipeline if Europe is to reduce its reliance on Russian gas, an energy security conference in Sofia heard on Friday.

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  1. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (C) arrives at Stockholm Arlanda airport November 17, 2009. Medvedev is in Stockholm to attend an EU-Russia summit on Wednesday. Among the issues on the meeting's agenda are energy security and climate change.

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  1. Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov (L) and Malta's President George Abela (2nd L) stand to attention as national anthems are played during a welcoming ceremony at Malta International Airport outside Valletta October 20, 2009. President Parvanov is in Malta on a two- day state visit.
  2. Bulgaria's visiting President Georgi Parvanov (R) meets Greece's Prime Minister George Papandreou in Athens November 25, 2009.
  3. Bulgaria's visiting President Georgi Parvanov (R) meets Greece's Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos in Athens November 25, 2009.
  4. Bulgaria's visiting President Georgi Parvanov (L) meets Greece's Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos in Athens November 25, 2009.
  5. Bulgaria's visiting President Georgi Parvanov inspects a guard of honour in Athens November 24, 2009.
  6. Bulgaria's visiting President Georgi Parvanov inspects a guard of honour in Athens November 24, 2009.
  7. Bulgaria's visiting President Georgi Parvanov (R) and Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias inspect a guard of honour in Athens November 24, 2009.
  8. Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov (R) and Azerbaijan's Industry and Energy Minister Natik Aliyev (L) exchange files after signing a memorandum on supplying gas to Bulgaria, in Sofia November 13, 2009. Behind them are Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev.
  9. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev share a moment during a signing ceremony in Sofia, November 13, 2009. Aliyev arrived in Bulgaria for a one-day working visit.
  10. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev pose for the media in Sofia, November 13, 2009. Aliyev arrived in Bulgaria for a one-day working visit.
  11. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev arrive at the Bulgarian Presidency in Sofia, November 13, 2009. Aliyev arrived in Bulgaria for a one-day working visit.
  12. Newly elected UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stands under the portraits of Bulgarian national heroes G.S. Rakovski (L) and Luben Karavelov before meeting with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (not pictured) in Sofia, November 13, 2009.
  13. Newly-elected UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova stands under the portrait of a Bulgarian national hero G.S. Rakovski before meeting with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (not pictured) in Sofia, November 13, 2009.
  14. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) welcomes at his office newly elected UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova in Sofia, November 13, 2009.
  15. Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov (R) and his Montenegrin counterpart Filip Vujanovic (L) review an honor guard during a welcoming ceremony in Sofia on November 5, 2009. Vujanovic is also scheduled to meet with Speaker of Parliament Tsetska Tsacheva and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boiko Borissov.
  16. Montenegro's President Filip Vujanovic (L) and Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov review the Bulgarian army honour guard during the official welcoming ceremony at the Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Sofia, November 5, 2009.

Recent Photos From The Wire

  1. A worker dries fish at a processing facility on the outskirts of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, December 7, 2009. The dried fish, which weighs around 5 kg (11 lb) each, costs 56 yuan (about 8.2 USD) per kilo, local media said.
  2. A North Korean soldier looks south as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (not pictured) visits the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from the South in Paju, about 55 km (34 miles) north of Seoul December 7, 2009. The United States, Japan and South Korea are working on a road map for ending North Korea's nuclear arms plans that could be on the agenda for a U.S. envoy's visit to Pyongyang this week, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported. Stephen Bosworth, the first envoy sent by U.S. President Barack Obama to the North, is expected to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a three-day stay where he will likely meet top North Korean officials but not leader Kim Jong-il.
  3. A North Korean soldier looks south as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper (not pictured) visits the truce village of Panmunjom in the demilitarized zone separating North Korea from the South in Paju, about 55 km (34 miles) north of Seoul December 7, 2009. The United States, Japan and South Korea are working on a road map for ending North Korea's nuclear arms plans that could be on the agenda for a U.S. envoy's visit to Pyongyang this week, Japan's Asahi newspaper reported. Stephen Bosworth, the first envoy sent by U.S. President Barack Obama to the North, is expected to arrive in Pyongyang on Tuesday for a three-day stay where he will likely meet top North Korean officials but not leader Kim Jong-il.
  4. Vehicles are on fire after a suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. A suicide bomber struck outside a court building in the main northwest city of Peshawar, killing people in a fiery reminder of the threat militants pose to the U.S.-allied, nuclear-armed country.
  5. People carry an injured man to a hospital, after a suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. A suicide bomber struck outside a court building in the main northwest city of Peshawar, killing people in a fiery reminder of the threat militants pose to the U.S.-allied, nuclear-armed country.
  6. Japan's Ai Fukuhara serves the ball as she and Kasumi Ishikawa (not seen) play against Hong Kong's Lin Ling and Zhang Rui in the women's doubles table tennis semifinal match at the East Asian Games in Hong Kong December 7, 2009.
  7. WORKINGTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: School children walk over the newly completed Barker Crossing across the River Derwent, flanked by a guard of honour from the Royal Engineers, who built the bridge, on December 7, 2009 in Workington, England. Workington's new Barker Crossing, built by the Army, is named after Pc Bill Barker who died when nearby Northside Bridge collapsed. He had been trying to clear people from the unstable bridge at the height of floods on 20 November. The town of Workington was split in half by the floods when bridges collapsed and buckled under the torrential rain but has now been reconnected by the Royal Engineers built footbridge.
  8. WORKINGTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: A school boy walks over the new completed Barker Crossing across the River Derwent, flanked by a guard of honour from the Royal Engineers, who built the bridge, on December 7, 2009 in Workington, England. Workington's new Barker Crossing, built by the Army, is named after Pc Bill Barker who died when nearby Northside Bridge collapsed. He had been trying to clear people from the unstable bridge at the height of floods on 20 November. The town of Workington was split in half by the floods when bridges collapsed and buckled under the torrential rain but has now been reconnected by the Royal Engineers built footbridge.
  9. Injured people are seen at a roadside after a suicide bombing in Peshawar, Pakistan on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. A suicide bomber struck outside a court building in the main northwest city of Peshawar, killing people in a fiery reminder of the threat militants pose to the U.S.-allied, nuclear-armed country.
  10. People wait for ambulances to rush the injured after a suicide bombing in Peshwar, Pakistan on Monday, Dec. 7, 2009. A suicide bomber struck outside a court building in the main northwest city of Peshawar, killing people in a fiery reminder of the threat militants pose to the U.S.-allied, nuclear-armed country.
  11. Incumbent President Traian Basescu holds a flag while waving to supporters at the end of the presidential elections runoff in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009. Incumbent President Traian Basescu was slightly ahead in a tight presidential runoff in Romania, election authorities said Monday, in an election Romanians hope will pull the country out of its worst political and economic crisis in 20 years. With 95.7 percent of the vote counted, election authorities said centrist Basescu polled 50.43 percent of the vote, while former foreign minister Mircea Geoana received 49.57 percent.
  12. WORKINGTON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 07: School children walk over the newly completed Barker Crossing across the River Derwent, flanked by a guard of honour from the Royal Engineers, who built the bridge, on December 7, 2009 in Workington, England. Workington's new Barker Crossing, built by the Army, is named after Pc Bill Barker who died when nearby Northside Bridge collapsed. He had been trying to clear people from the unstable bridge at the height of floods on 20 November. The town of Workington was split in half by the floods when bridges collapsed and buckled under the torrential rain but has now been reconnected by the Royal Engineers built footbridge.
  13. A replica of tyrannosaurus rex stands behind exhibition officials, during a media event of the "Playing with Dinosaurs" exhibition at the National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall, Monday, Dec. 7, 2009, in Taipei, Taiwan. The exhibition starts from Dec. 12, 2009 to Apr. 5, 2010.
  14. PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Anthony Morabito of the Dockers runs during a Fremantle Dockers AFL training session at Santich Park on December 7, 2009 in Fremantle, Australia.
  15. ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Chris Gayle of the West Indies leaves the field undefeated on 155 at the end play on day four of the Second Test Match between Australia and the West Indies at Adelaide Oval on December 7, 2009 in Adelaide, Australia.
  16. PERTH, AUSTRALIA - DECEMBER 07: Casey Sibisado of the Dockers runs during a Fremantle Dockers AFL training session at Santich Park on December 7, 2009 in Fremantle, Australia.