Bulgaria can become a platform for Qatar's business in the region of Southeast Europe

The Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin, who was on a one-day official visit to the State of Qatar, met with the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, the Minister of Finance, Ali Al Emadi, and the Deputy Minister of Economy and Commerce Sultan Bin Rashid Al-Khater.

Kristian Vigenin introduced the hosts with the outcome of the meeting of the Visegrad Group countries and Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, which was  held in Budapest. He presented also the project of a new South-North Corridor, part of which is the construction of a liquefied gas terminal in Greece. In March an expert group meeting on this project will be held in Sofia and the Bulgarian Foreign Minister invited Qatar to participate in it.

During the conversation with the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah Al Thani, Minister Vigenin focused on the stable banking system in Bulgaria, emphasizing the possibility of Qatar to take steps towards obtaining a license for the establishment of a banking institution or acquiring such, pointing out that this will give impetus to the perspective of Bulgaria to become a platform for Qatar's business in the region of Southeast Europe and the EU countries.

They also discussed the proposal to set up a joint fund to promote the small and medium sized enterprises, facilitate the issue of visas for Bulgarian citizens, projects of mutual interest, including the speed road "Ruse-Svilengrad", as well as support for the inclusion of Qatar in the positive visa-free list of the European Union.

The President of the Republic of Bulgaria Rosen Plevneliev will visit Qatar on 10 - 12 March this year.