MOSCOW, December 19 (RIA Novosti) - Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday that energy projects between Russia and Bulgaria will progress without delays, despite the global financial crisis.

"As for energy projects with Bulgaria, there are no grounds to expect they will be delayed, frozen or changed," Lavrov told a joint news conference with his Bulgarian counterpart, Ivailo Kalfin.

"Both South Stream [gas pipeline], Burgas-Alexandropoulis [oil pipeline] and the nuclear power plant project will be implemented, irrespective of the economic or political situation."

Lavrov voiced Russia's support for a Bulgarian initiative to hold an energy security conference next April, while Kalfin said Bulgaria "respected" the Russian presidential initiative to draft a pan-European security treaty.

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov will pay a visit to Russia in early 2009, Lavrov said, adding that the visit would coincide with the start of the Year of Russia in Bulgaria.

As part of the cultural program, Kalfin said prospects for increasing bilateral trade and investment would be discussed.

"We have many opportunities to increase bilateral trade and investment. The past two years have seen a growth in Russian investment in Bulgaria... Bulgarian imports to Russia have increased 95% in the past few years, which means our economic relations have been developing very dynamically," the Bulgarian foreign minister said.

A direct ferry service between the two countries across the Black Sea will also assist bilateral trade, he said. The route will connect Port Kavkaz on the Kerch Strait with the Bulgarian port of Varna.