Between 15 and 17 December 2018, the President of the Republic of Bulgaria, Mr Rumen Radev, paid an official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. During the visit he was accompanied by representatives of the Bulgarian business and scientific circles. 26 representatives from 28 business and institutional organizations of the Republic of Bulgaria participated from the sectors of defense industry, agriculture, food industry, energy, information and communication technologies (ICT), machine building, textiles, architecture and tourism.
On December 16, within a business forum, Mr. Boyko Takov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (BSMEPA), met Mr. Jamal Fariz, President and Mr. Ayman Qaffaf, Director General of the Jordan Europe Business Association (JEBA). The Association is a partner of BSMEPA, which assisted the organization of business events on the spot during the visit. The participants in the meeting expressed their satisfaction with the successful cooperation between the two organizations, supported by a signed memorandum of understanding in 2015. The leaders of the two organizations from the Bulgaria and Jordan expressed their support and desire to continue and develop an active partnership. They agreed on JEBA Business Delegation organized in the next calendar year as well as business events and business visits to Bulgaria to help increase bilateral trade-economic contacts and enrich the structure of bilateral trade.
On the same day, following the meeting with the President and the General Director of JEBA, Mr. Boyko Takov, Executive Director of BSMEPA, together with Mr. Stamen Yanev, Executive Director of BAI and Ms. Antoaneta Bares, Executive Director of NCIP, held a meeting Mr. Muhhanad Sheheden, State Minister for Investment Affairs and Chairman of the Jordan Investment Commission. The meeting with the minister from the Jordanian country was also attended by Mrs. Dima Hadadin, Director of the Investment and Business Development Directorate at the Administration of the HQ. King Abdullah II and Mr. Sami Al-Harfuzi, Director of Investment Promotion Directorate of the Jordan Investment Commission. During the meeting the leaders of the Bulgarian institutions presented the business climate in the country, the positive trends in the growth of the main economic indicators, the investment opportunities, as well as the business development conditions provided by the Bulgarian industrial zones. In turn, Minister Sheheden presented the investment opportunities of Jordan. He stressed that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is becoming more and more a regional trading and investment center in the Middle East and North Africa region, in the MENA region.
Despite Jordan's various adverse weather conditions and the weight they placed on country resources, the Jordanian economy continues to grow. Indeed, Jordan is one of the most sustainable business and investment environments in the region, as it offers a golden opportunity for companies wishing to expand in the region and gain access to international markets. In a constructive conversation, the participants identified the sectors mutual interest: education, information and communication technologies, SPA tourism and agriculture.