LJUBLJANA, February 8. /TASS/. Europe welcomes efforts aimed at resolving the Ukrainian crisis, lifting sanctions and normalizing relations with Russia, Slovenian President, Borut Pahor, told TASS in the run-up to his visit to Moscow.

"Ukraine remains a problem, which is a source of distrust between the West and Russia," he said. "I would like us to try to find a way out of the situation in Ukraine by implementing certain agreements, which could then lead to the lifting of anti-Russian sanctions."

The Slovenian leader expressed the hope that Russia and Ukraine "will be able to find ways to work together to restore confidence, which will be the beginning of efforts to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, which will eventually lead to a thaw in relations between Russia and the West."

"It would be better for the European Union, if the Ukrainian crisis ended as soon as possible," Pahor said. "Now we have many other problems, particularly, in the security sphere, in politics, at the EU borders. Europe welcomes efforts aimed at defusing the Ukrainian crisis, lifting sanctions and normalizing relations with Russia."

The Slovenian president will arrive in Moscow for an official visit on February 10. He will be accompanied by a delegation, which will include 40 representatives of Slovenian business circles and companies. It is planned to sign 11 bilateral contracts in agriculture, telecommunications, technology exchange and energy worth more than 1 bln euros.