Nickolay Mladenov in Qatar: Our goal is to facilitate investment in Bulgaria
04 October 2011 News
An agreement between the governments of Bulgaria and the State of Qatar on visa exemption for diplomatic and special passports was signed in Doha today.
Finalisation of negotiations on the document coincided with the signing in Sofia of a contract on outsourcing visa services for people from the Gulf who want to visit Bulgaria.
Within a month, the outsourcing reception centres, as they are known, for processing visas will be operational.
"Our main goal is to facilitate both Qatari investments in Bulgaria and visits by business representatives from across the region," Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nickolay Mladenov said.
During a meeting with the head of state of Qatar, Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, Minister Mladenov said that Qatar occupies a strategic place in Bulgaria's relations with the Gulf.
Co-operation can be developed in three main areas - investment in farming, tourism and energy.
In Doha, Minister Mladenov was received by the State Minister of Foreign Affairs Khalid Bin Mohammad Al Attiyah and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad bin Abdullah Al Mahmoud.
Working meetings were held with executives of Qatari Diar, part of the Qatar Investment Authority, and with the Qatar Foundation, and with the chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority, Ahmed Abdullah Al Nuaimi.