VARNA, Bulgaria (AP) — The Latest on French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to central and eastern Europe (all times local):

4 p.m.

Bulgaria's prime minister says he regrets divisions that have emerged in the European Union over "posted workers" — cheap labor from eastern countries posted temporarily to more prosperous European countries.

Poland and Hungary are reluctant to reform current EU labor rules while French President Emanuel Macron is pressing for change, as they are perceived as pricing out local workers in Western Europe, putting downward pressure on wages and exacerbating inequalities in wealth.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said after talks with Macron that "Poland and Hungary are our friends and it is fatal that there is such confrontation in the European Union."

Borisov said officials would discuss the issue with Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo when she visits in September. He said Bulgaria wanted a solution before it takes over the rotating presidency of the EU on Jan. 1, 2018.

2:35 p.m.

Bulgaria's president says it's important not to violate the European Union's basic principle of free movement as the bloc considers changing rules on so-called "posted workers," cheap labor from eastern countries posted temporarily to more prosperous European countries.

President Rumen Radev said after discussing the issue with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Friday that new rules should seek a balance between older and newer EU members. Bulgaria, which joined the 28-nation bloc in 2007, is one of the newest members.

However, Radev said he shared Macron's "anguish about social dumping." He added that "Bulgaria is against all social security fraud."

There are estimated to be a few thousand Bulgarian workers seconded to other member states working in construction, trucking and shipbuilding.

1:55 p.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron has sharply criticized Poland's government over its opposition to his plans to change European Union rules on so-called "posted workers" — cheap labor from eastern countries posted temporarily to more prosperous European countries.

Macron said during a visit to Bulgaria on Friday that the Polish reluctance to reform the labor rules is "an illustration of the mistakes made by this government."

Macron said that "Poland has decided to isolate itself from Europe and its refusal to revise this directive doesn't give change my confidence in (getting) a positive outcome." He said that Poles "deserved better"

Poland's Premier Beata Szydlo said Thursday her government would defend "Poland's interests and Poland's workers, but added that "all member states are putting their heads together" over the issue.

10:55 a.m.

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived at a French-style palace on the Black Sea coast for talks with Bulgarian leaders on the final leg of his three-day tour to central and eastern Europe.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev greeted Macron and his wife Brigitte for Friday's opening ceremony.

The setting for the discussions, which will focus on business, investment and Europe's passport-free Schengen zone that Bulgaria wants to join, is a 19th-century former summer royal palace north of Varna. The communist elite used to use the palace which is now host to high-level government meetings.

Bulgaria also wants to join the Paris-based Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international body of nations that seeks to promote policies to economic growth and social well-being.