Qatar

Office for Commercial and Economic Affairs in the city of Doha

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Head of Department “Asia, Africa, America and Australia”
Adelina Kyoseva
12 “Knyaz Alexander I” st.
phone: +359 2 940 7688

a.kioseva@mi.government.bg

Referent for Iraq
Mehmed Myuhtar
12 “Knyaz Alexander I” St.,
phone: +359 2 940 76 52
m.myuhtar@mi.government.bg

I. Trade and economic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Qatar

II. Sectoral analysis:

Import requirements, procedures and registration regime for the import of cosmetic products in 2022 in the State of Qatar.

I. Trade and economic relations with the State of Qatar

Diplomatic relations between the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Qatar were established on October 16, 1990.

The Joint Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Parliament of the Republic of Bulgaria and the Parliament of the State of Qatar was established with a Protocol of Establishment signed on April 25, 2009 in Sofia.

In accordance with RMS No. 447/21.08.2017, the Minister of Energy has been appointed as the chairman of the Bulgarian part of the intergovernmental Bulgarian-Qatari Mixed Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation (SKITS).

The first session of the intergovernmental Bulgarian-Qatari SKITS was held on April 11-12, 2011 in Doha (co-chaired on the Bulgarian side by the former Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mr. Evgeni Angelov, and the protocol of the session was subsequently signed by correspondence between the two ministers). During the session, the issues discussed are related to the development of bilateral commercial and economic cooperation in the fields of trade, agriculture, tourism, energy and banking, as well as opportunities for attracting Qatari investments in energy, agriculture, construction, aviation were discussed. transport etc.

The second session of the intergovernmental Bulgarian-Qatari SKITS was held on January 28-29, 2014 in the city of Doha, the State of Qatar. The session is chaired on the Bulgarian side by the former Minister of Economy and Energy, Mr. Dragomir Stoynev, and on the Qatari side by the Minister of Economy and Trade, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed al-Thani. During the session, expectations and perspectives for further development of bilateral cooperation in a number of spheres were discussed, namely: trade and investment cooperation, mining, tourism, energy, agriculture and animal husbandry, information technology and communications. During the visit of ex-minister Dragomir Stoynev, the following meetings were held with high-ranking Qatari partners: Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar; Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Minister of Economy and Trade of Qatar; Dr. Muhammad Al Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry of Qatar; Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Head of Business Development at Qatar State Investment Corporation Qatar Holding. At the meetings, the development of bilateral relations was discussed and the progress of the bilateral dialogue in a number of spheres of mutual interest was created. For the implementation of the starting initiatives and the ongoing negotiations in the fields of agriculture, economy and infrastructure, the Prime Minister of Qatar said that he is ready to be involved personally so that the compatible projects are successfully implemented and the excellent bilateral relations that have been established are fully utilized.

In 2018, the Third Session of the Bulgarian-Qatari Intergovernmental Mixed Commission for Economic and Trade Cooperation is expected. The opinion of the Ministry of Energy, which is the chairman of the Bulgarian side of the commission on the latest proposal of the Qatari side from 05.10.2017 to hold SKITS in the first quarter of 2018, as well as determining the new specific dates for the session, is expected .

BILATERAL TRADE

/in million USD/

Years	Year Trade (USD milion)	growth/decline,%	export	growth/decline,%	import	growth/decline,%	balance
2017	12.7	39.6	10.8	47.9	1.9	5.6	8.9
2018	15.5	22.0	14.3	32.4	1.2	-36.8	13.1
2019	19.4	25.2	14.2	-0.7	5.2	333.3	9
2020	20.8	7.2	15.5	9.2	5.3	1.9	10.2
2021	34.5	65.9	18.5	19.4	16	201.9	2.5
I-VI 2022	50.7	122.4	9.9	1.0	40.8	213.8	-30.9

Trade with Qatar is still insignificant.

In the first six months of 2022, bilateral trade reached USD 50.7 million, which is a significant increase from USD 122.4 in the same period of 2021. Bulgarian exports for the specified period were worth USD 9.9 million. e., which is a growth of only 1% compared to the same period for 2021. Imports from Qatar for the specified period were worth 40.8 million USD, and here a significant growth of 213% is reported. Compared to the same period in 2021.

Our trade with Qatar for 2021 amounted to 34.5 million USD. (marks a growth of 65% compared to 2020) of which exports 18.5 million USD (a growth of 19% compared to 2020), and imports marked an exceptional growth and reached 16 million. USD or a growth of 201% compared to 2020.

Main commodities in our exports to Qatar for 2021: lighting fixtures (including floodlights) and parts thereof, not elsewhere specified or included; advertising lamps, illuminated signs, illuminated signposts and similar articles having; kitchen sinks, other sinks, sink stands, bathtubs, bidets, toilet bowls, toilet cisterns, urinals and similar fixed fixtures for sanitary purposes, of ceramic; fittings and similar devices for pipelines, boilers, tanks, tubs or similar vessels, including reducing valves and thermostatic valves, etc.

Main commodities in our imports from Qatar for 2021: copper waste and scrap; polymers of ethylene in primary forms; passenger cars and other motor vehicles intended for the transport of persons (other than those of N 8702), including freight cars and racing cars; automatic information processing machines and their units; magnetic or optical readers, machines for recording information on carriers in code form and machines for processing this information, not elsewhere specified or included, etc.

Trade with Qatar in the first 6 months of 2020 amounted to 8.2 million USD with a growth of 3% compared to the same period of 2019 – export – 6.3 million USD. and import 1.8 billion USD.

A major place in our exports to Qatar are kitchen sinks, sink stands, bathtubs, bidets, toilet bowls, toilet cisterns, urinals and similar fixed fixtures for sanitary use, made of ceramics; Fittings and similar fittings for piping, boilers, tanks, tubs or similar vessels, including reducing valves and thermostatic valves; Sunflower, safflower or cottonseed oil and their fractions, whether or not refined, but not chemically modified; Cheese and cottage cheese; Electric accumulators, including their separators, whether or not square or rectangular; Other machines and devices for terracing, leveling, preparing land, digging, tamping, drilling or extracting soil, ores or minerals; pile driving hammers and pile pulling machines; snow plows (non-self-propelled); Bed springs and mattress supports; bedding and similar articles (for example, mattresses, quilts, duvets, poufs, pillows) with springs or filled or lined internally with any; Machinery and apparatus, not specified or included elsewhere in this Chapter, for the industrial processing or manufacture of food or drink; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; bedding and similar articles (for example, mattresses, quilts, duvets, poufs, pillows) with springs or filled or lined internally with any; Machinery and apparatus, not specified or included elsewhere in this Chapter, for the industrial processing or manufacture of food or drink; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; bedding and similar articles (for example, mattresses, quilts, duvets, poufs, pillows) with springs or filled or lined internally with any; Machinery and apparatus, not specified or included elsewhere in this Chapter, for the industrial processing or manufacture of food or drink; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; cushions) with springs or stuffed or lined internally with any; Machinery and apparatus, not specified or included elsewhere in this Chapter, for the industrial processing or manufacture of food or drink; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; cushions) with springs or stuffed or lined internally with any; Machinery and apparatus, not specified or included elsewhere in this Chapter, for the industrial processing or manufacture of food or drink; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; for industrial processing or production of food or beverages; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; for industrial processing or production of food or beverages; Boards, panels, consoles, consoles, cabinets and the like, fitted with two or more appliances of heading NN 8535 or 8536 for control or electrical distribution, including those incorporating instruments or apparatus; Sanitary or toilet articles and parts thereof, of iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37; iron or steel; Chocolate and other foodstuffs containing cocoa; Carriers prepared for the recording of sound or similar recordings but not recording, other than products of Chapter 37;

Main goods in our imports from Qatar – refined copper and copper alloys in unprocessed form: copper waste and scrap; polymers of ethylene in primary forms:

Machines (including presses) for forging or stamping, stamping, drop and hydraulic hammers for working metals; machines (including presses) for winding, bending, crimping, straightening, cutting; carpentry and scaffolding parts, including porous wood boards, parquet boards and roofing shingles of wood; automatic information processing machines and their units; magnetic or optical readers, machines for recording information on carriers in code form and machines for processing this information; binoculars, binoculars, astronomical binoculars, optical telescopes and their housings; other astronomical instruments and their housings, excluding radio astronomy apparatus; women’s suits, ensembles, jackets, dresses, skirts, skirts, pants, suspender pants, knee length pants, shorts and shorts (other than bathing suits), knitted or crocheted; instruments and apparatus for physical or chemical analysis (for example, polarimeters, refractometers, spectrometers, gas or smoke analyzers); instruments and apparatus for testing viscosity, porosity, expansion; liquid crystal devices; lasers other than laser diodes; other optical apparatus and instruments, etc.

For the period January-December 2019 , our exports to Qatar amounted to 12.7 million euros – basic kitchen and bathroom fittings, boilers and pipelines, plastic products, batteries, sound carriers, meat from small cattle and poultry, boards , consoles, etc. equipment, chairs, seats, etc. A 12.6% drop in our exports to Qatar is reported

Imports from Qatar for the same period amounted to 4.8 million USD. mainly – debris and waste from copper, polymers of ethylene, passenger cars, elements for bridge structures, boards, panels, consoles, etc. with an increase of about 300% compared to 2018.

In total, our trade with Qatar grew by nearly 13% in 2019.

In the 12 months of 2018, our exports to Qatar amounted to 1 4 . 3 million USD bottom and includes mainly kitchen sinks, sink stands, bathtubs, bidets, toilet bowls, toilet cisterns, urinals and similar fixed fixtures for sanitary use, of ceramic; fittings and similar devices for pipes, boilers, tanks, tubs or similar vessels; hygienic or toilet articles, etc.

Imports from Qatar during the same period amounted to 1.2 million USD. dol and includes primarily polymers of ethylene in primary forms; passenger cars and other motor vehicles intended for the transport of people; chairs and seats and parts thereof; electric apparatus for wire telephony or telegraphy, videophones, etc.

Our trade with Qatar in 2018 reached USD 15.5 million. bottom with a positive balance of USD 13.1 million

In 2017, bilateral trade was worth USD 12.7 million, with Bulgarian exports worth USD 10.8 million. and the import is 1.9 million USD. The commodity structure remains the same.

Leading commodity groups in trade with Qatar in 2017:

Implemented bilateral business forums

• In the period April 4-5, 2018, a technical team from Qatar visited Sofia. The main purpose of the visit was to gather detailed information on the technical aspects of the investment projects in the field of energy, transport and construction in Bulgaria.
• On March 19, 2018, a Qatari business delegation from the Qatar Investment Fund, led by Sheikh Abdul Aziz Bin Ali Al-Thani, Head of the Business Development Department, visited Sofia. The purpose of the visit was to study investment opportunities in Bulgaria.
• In the period March 7-8, 2018, at the invitation of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Rumen Radev, an official visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamin bin Hamad Al Thani. A business forum “Bulgaria-Qatar” was also held within the framework of the visit. An Agreement on the establishment of a Joint Business Council between the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Qatar was signed at the event. During the meetings, specific projects were announced for the construction of a canning plant on the territory of Qatar, the supply of electrical equipment, the implementation of medical software and IT technologies in the field of health care, the supply of food products, etc.
• On March 11, 2014, a bilateral business forum was held as part of an official visit to Doha by President Rosen Plevneliev. The business forum is organized by IANMSP and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Doha with the participation of 31 leading Bulgarian companies from the sectors of energy efficiency and renewable sources, wind power plants, telecommunications and network services, photovoltaic systems, furniture and woodworking, optical components, HVP and sheep breeding complexes .
• In the period April 21-24, 2013, participation of Bulgaria with a national pavilion at the VIII World Congress of the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Doha, where the leading Bulgarian construction companies are presented , which can participate as subcontractors in the implementation of a number of infrastructure projects in Qatar, as well as the opportunities for tourism in Bulgaria. The event is part of an official visit to the State of Qatar by Mrs. Ekaterina Zaharieva, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, accompanied by the former Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mrs. Violeta Lorer and a representative Bulgarian business delegation from the construction sector.
• On March 14-15, 2012, a bilateral business forum was held in Doha with the participation of 103 Bulgarian companies , within the framework of the official visit of the Prime Minister, Mr. Boyko Borisov, to the State of Qatar . During the forum, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between KRIB and the Qatari Chamber of Commerce and Industry, through which the Bulgarian-Qatari Business Council was established.
• On November 8, 2007, the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, together with the Qatari Chamber of Commerce and Industry, organized a business forum in Doha for 20 Bulgarian businessmen and numerous Qatari companies . During the talks, opportunities for cooperation in the production and transportation of natural gas, metalworking, information technologies, energy and tourism were discussed.

Chronology of realized official bilateral visits in the commercial and economic sphere in the last five years (in chronological order) :

• On April 14, 2009 in Sofia, during an official visit of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al-Thani, an Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation was signed between the Republic of Bulgaria and the State of Qatar.
• On April 25, 2009 , in Sofia, Minister Petar Dimitrov met with the Qatari Minister of State for Petroleum, within the framework of the international conference “Natural Gas for Europe: Security and Partnership”.
• During the official visit to Qatar of the Prime Minister, Mr. Boyko Borisov, on March 22, 2010, a Bulgarian-Qatari bilateral meeting was held in Doha with the participation from the Bulgarian side of :

– Mr. Nikolay Mladenov, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Traicho Traikov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism; Mr. Alexander Tsvetkov, Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications; Mrs. Maya Hristova, Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism; Mr. Kamen Kichev, Deputy Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications;

from the Qatari side:

– Mr. Yusuf Hussein Kamal, Minister of Economy and Finance; Dr. Khaled Mohammed Al-Attiyah, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Acting Minister of Business and Commerce; Mr. Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways.

Qatar’s investment interest in agriculture, finance, tourism, real estate and telecommunications was discussed during the meetings.

• In May 2010, at the invitation of architect Petar Dikov, Sofia was visited by experts from the Qatari company “Qatari Diar”, who got acquainted with investment sites offered by the Bulgarian side.
• In June 2010, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Marin Raykov and Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Evgeni Angelov visited Doha to participate in an international forum . During the visit, Deputy Minister Evgeni Angelov met with the Qatari companies “Investment Authorities” and “Qatari Diar”, with whom they discussed possibilities for attracting Qatari investments to Bulgaria.
• In the period November 22-28, 2010, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Miroslav Naydenov visited Qatar as part of a tour in Kuwait, the UAE and Qatar and discussed the development of bilateral cooperation in the field of agriculture and food production.
• On April 11-12, 2011, the first Bulgarian-Qatari session of SKITS was held in Doha, Qatar with the participation of a delegation from MIET, BEH and National Company Industrial Zones, led by the Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mr. Evgeni Angelov.
• On March 13-16, 2012, Prime Minister Mr. Boyko Borisov paid an official visit to the State of Qatar , accompanied by the following ministers : Mr. Tsvetan Tsvetanov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs; Mr. Traicho Traikov, Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism; Mr. Nikolay Mladenov, Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Anyu Angelov, Minister of Defense; Mrs. Liliana Pavlova, Minister of Regional Development and Public Works; Mr. Miroslav Naydenov, Minister of Agriculture and Food; Mr. Ivaylo Moskovski, Minister of Transport, Information Technologies and Communications. The official delegation included the mayors of Sofia, Plovdiv, Sliven and Dulgopol municipality, the executive directors of NKIZ, BAI and BEH, as well as a number of representatives of the state administration, the media, etc.

Also, the official delegation was accompanied by a business delegation of 103 Bulgarian companies , including companies from the following sectors: food industry; agriculture; tourism; construction and design activity; chemical industry; mechanical engineering; cosmetics and perfumery; electronic equipment; Information Technology; animal husbandry; logistics; financial services, etc.

On March 14, 2012, within the framework of the bilateral business forum held in Doha, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between KRIB and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry , signed respectively by Mr. Ognyan Donev, Chairman of KRIB and by Mr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al -Kuvari, Deputy Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The document envisages the establishment of a Bulgarian-Qatari business council aimed at developing cooperation between the two organizations and promoting contacts between the business circles of both countries. Exchange of information between the two organizations, as well as bilateral participation in seminars, conferences, etc., have been agreed upon.

• On May 3-4, 2012, the visit to Bulgaria was made by Dr. Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiya, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar , accompanied by the management of the Qatari state companies: Qatar Holding; Qatar Mining; Qatari Diar; Qatar Rail Company and Qatar National Hotels Company. During the visit, the Minister of Economy and Energy, Mr. Delyan Dobrev, held meetings with the Qatari Minister of State and representatives of Qatari companies. Deputy Minister Ivo Marinov held a meeting with the director of the Qatari tourism company ” Qatar National Hotels Co. “. A meeting was also held between the management of the Bulgarian Mining and Geological Chamber and ” Qatar Mining “. During the meetings, the economic development of Bulgaria and the opportunities for investments in Bulgaria were presented, as well as the readiness of MIET and BAI to assist and support the successful realization of Qatari investments in Bulgaria in the field of infrastructure, mining, real estate and tourism was confirmed.
• At the request of the Qatari side, on May 7, 2012 in Sofia, MIET organized meetings of the management of ” Qatar Holding ” with the executive directors of BEH and NKIZ , at which the Qatari side was introduced to the opportunities for investment in the Bulgarian energy sector and in the construction are industrial zones in Bulgaria and in particular with the plans for the modernization of the intermodal cargo terminal in Ruse . The management of BEH introduced the Qatari side to the opportunities for investments in Bulgaria in coal-fired thermal power plants, as well as to the project for the construction of two new units with a total capacity of 500 MW . BEH informed Qatar Holding ” and for the planned sale on the stock exchange of about 20% of the shares of the holding, to which the Qatari side shows a fundamental interest and wishes to receive more detailed information when the procedure is launched. ” Qatar Holding ” shows an initial interest in participating in hydropower projects in Bulgaria.
• On May 17-18, 2012, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabar Al-Thani made an official visit to Bulgaria , which was implemented in response to the visit of the Prime Minister Mr. Boyko Borisov in Qatar, in the period March 13-16, 2012. During the visit , a total of 9 bilateral documents were signed, aiming at the development of Bulgarian-Qatari trade-economic, investment and political relations.
• In May-June 2012, business visits were made by representatives of the Qatari companies Qatar Holding, Qatar Diar, Qatar Hospitality, Qatar Mining and Qatar Rail to Bulgaria, in fulfillment of the commitments under the signed bilateral agreements and the study of the possibilities for realization of Qatari investments in Bulgarian projects corresponding to the activities of the companies.
• In July 2012, a delegation from the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works and the National Company “Strategic Infrastructure Projects” visited Doha in connection with negotiations on a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation and investment in the construction of the Ruse-Svilengrad Expressway. in accordance with the political agreements reached.
• In August 2012, representatives of the Ministry of Finance and the Bulgarian Development Bank visited Doha in connection with the realization of financial and investment intentions of the State of Qatar in Bulgaria.
• In September 2012, Sheikh Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Minister of Municipalities and Planning of Qatar, visited Bulgaria.
• In November 2012, an official visit was made to Qatar by the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Mrs. Liliana Pavlova with an accompanying business delegation in order to reveal perspectives for the participation of Bulgarian construction companies in the implementation of part of the large-scale infrastructure projects in Qatar. A representative office of the Bulgarian construction companies was opened in Doha.
• In the period April 21-24, 2013, an official visit to the State of Qatar was made by Mrs. Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, accompanied by the Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mrs. Violeta Laurer and a representative Bulgarian business delegation from the construction sector. Within the framework of the visit, Bulgaria participated with a national pavilion at the VIII World Congress of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Doha, where the opportunities for tourism in Bulgaria were also presented.
• On November 24-25, 2013 , Mr. Krasin Dimitrov, Deputy Minister of Economy and Energy, paid a working visit to Doha . Within the framework of the visit, a series of fruitful meetings were held with high-ranking representatives of the state and business level in Qatar, namely with: Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Minister of Economy and Trade; Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Director of Business Development at the Qatar Investment Corporation, Qatar Holding; the chairman of the Qatari state corporation “Hassad Food”, Mr. Nasser Mohammed al-Hajeri; Qatari Diyar CEO Mr. Khaled Al Sayyad; the Deputy Chairman of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), Mr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Quari. The meetings reviewed the development of bilateral trade and economic relations and identified a number of specific initiatives for the development of bilateral trade and investment cooperation.
• On January 28-29, 2014, the second session of the intergovernmental Bulgarian-Qatari Mixed Commission for Economic and Technical Cooperation was held in Doha, co-chaired on the Bulgarian side by the former Minister of Economy and Energy, Mr. Dragomir Stoynev, and on the Qatari side by the Minister of Economy and Trade, Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani. During the session, the state and prospects for further development of bilateral cooperation in the following spheres were discussed: trade and investment cooperation, mining, tourism, energy, agriculture and animal husbandry, information technology and communications.
• Official visit to the State of Qatar of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria , Mr. Rosen Plevneliev , March 10-12, 2014 and the organization with the assistance of the IANMSP and the Doha Chamber of Commerce and Industry of a bilateral business forum.
• On May 16-18, 2015, an official visit to Qatar by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borisov, accompanied by the Minister of Economy, Mr. Bozhidar Lukarski and the Ministers of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ME, executive director of “Bulgargaz” EAD and other representatives of the Ministry of Justice and relevant ministries. During the visit, two documents were signed: Letter of interest for cooperation between “Bulgargaz” EAD and “Qatargas” and Agreement on cooperation in the fight against crime.

INVESTMENTS

According to BNB data in the period 2014-2021. Annual data; Net foreign investments in Bulgaria; Position at the end of the period; Total financial assets/liabilities;

in EUR million:

Year	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Qatar	2.6	7.6	0.4	1,2	1.3	1.8	1.3	0.2

In recent years, Qatar has invested tens of billions of US dollars abroad, mainly in Singapore, France, Italy, Great Britain, Switzerland, the United States, Vietnam, Iraq, the Netherlands, Turkey, Germany, China and Malaysia. Main investment sectors for the Qatari country are hospitality, power plants, oil companies, banking and financial sector, infrastructure and transport, looking for a high return on investment.

In principle, the Qatari country shows interest in investments in Bulgaria mainly in the field of real estate, agriculture, infrastructure and tourism.

At the same time, at the end of May 2015, the “Qatar Management Agency”, registered in Bulgaria, bought industrial and agricultural properties worth over BGN 4.85 million in the Varna region. The buyer company is owned by Mohammed al-Thani, who is from the family of the emir of Qatar. Qatar Management Agency was registered in 2008 and develops activities in various fields – from IT and business consulting to services in the field of trade in fast moving goods. At the beginning of 2015, the company opened a branch in Bulgaria, registered by Mohammed al-Thani.

At the same time, MII provided full assistance to the Qatari state companies Qatar Holding; Qatar Mining; Qatari Diar; Qatar Rail Company and Qatar National Hotels Company showing investment interest in Bulgaria and exploring investment opportunities in Bulgaria.

Currently, the leading Qatari state investment companies are showing interest in investments in Bulgaria in the field of real estate, tourism and agriculture