Bulgarian premier in Germany for first time since 1944

The Bulgarian Prime Minister, Ivan Kostov, has gone to Germany for talks with government leaders on promoting trade and German investment in Bulgaria.

This is the first visit to Germany by a Bulgarian prime minister since the communist takeover in Sofia in 1944.

Germany is the top foreign investor in Bulgaria and correspondents say Bonn's economic influence has increased since Mr Kostov's government pegged the Bulgarian currency, the lev, to the Deutsche-mark last year.

The two governments are also expected to discuss how to tackle organized crime, drugs and arms trafficking and illegal migration to the European Union.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service