BULGARIA OFFERS QATAR PROJECTS WORTH €300 MLN

The Government is looking for investors in agriculture, airports and ports

Bulgaria is ready to offer to Qatari investment funds projects worth €300 mln, this became clear during the official visit of our governmental delegation, headed by PM Boyko Borissov, to Doha. "Bulgaria is still interested in supplying liquefied natural gas from Qatar through a terminal in Greece or Turkey. This project has the potential to become regional for several countries in Southeastern Europe with the support of the EU," said Traikov.
Qatari businesses are interested in large-scale projects, combining luxury tourism, construction of infrastructure and agriculture. The Bulgarian delegation will propose for discussion with the state-owned investment fund Qatari Diar and Qatari Holding projects for the construction of an industrial area and an intermodal park in Russe, an economic zone Sofia-Bozhurishte, an industrial and logistics park in Burgas, Pleven and Sofia, and a large project in agriculture.
A joint venture has been registered between the state investment fund of Qatar (Qatar investment Authority) and Industrial Zones National Company JSC, with a capital of $500 mln. The company will support investment projects in financial services, tourism, agriculture and real estate.
The Minister of Transport and Communications Ivaylo Moskovski presented to the Bulgarian-Qatari Business Forum the opportunities for concessioning Bulgarian ports and airports, including the airports in Sofia, Balchik, Plovdiv, Gorna Oryahovitsa, and part of the ports in Varna and Russe. According to Moskovski, the strategy for the development of civil airports, ports for public transport of national importance and railway stations in Bulgaria through concession mechanisms projects to attract the private sector in the construction, development and management of major transport sites.
During the visit, Bulgarian PM Boyko Borissov offered to his Qatari counterpart, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, involvement of Qatari investments in several infrastructure projects such as the reconstruction of the airport in Balchik. The Qatari Prime Minister is expected to visit Bulgaria within three or four months and make final decisions on the discussed infrastructure projects.
"Qatar is interested in importing and breeding Bulgarian lambs and in the production of meat," said Nasser bin Mohamed Mubarak al-Fuhaid al-Hajri, Chairman and Managing Director of the state-owned company Hassad Food, during a meeting with the Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov. According to Nassar al-Hajri, Qatar is also willing to develop grain production in Bulgaria, especially growing of wheat, barley and corn.