Prime minister Rumen Radev phoned Romania's new prime minister, Luca Niculescu, to congratulate him and invite him to visit Bulgaria, the government press office said.

Radev wished him success in his demanding job. The press office said the invitation is meant to keep up political talks between the two countries at the highest level.

The call covered joint projects by Bulgaria and Romania, as well as three-way projects with Turkey on free shipping in the Black Sea. The two prime ministers confirmed that both countries are ready to work more closely on shipping safety in the sea.

Radev and Niculescu agreed to work on building the strategic partnership, with a focus on transport, energy and infrastructure links. They will also back business contacts between firms and institutions in both countries.

Romania's parliament approved the government of Niculescu, an independent diplomat, yesterday. In all, 280 MPs voted for the cabinet, with at least 233 votes needed.

The vote ended a political crisis in Romania that lasted almost six months. It began in early May, when a no-confidence vote brought down the centre-right cabinet of Ilie Bolojan.