Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ekaterina Zaharieva talked in Brussels with Adele Al-Jubiere, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the foreign ministry press service said.
"The two-way political dialogue between the Republic of Bulgaria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is developing more and more dynamically. Just a year ago, I had the pleasure of welcoming you to Sofia and our meeting gave impetus to many exchanged visits between representatives of different ministries, agencies and business entities, "Zaharieva said.
The Deputy Prime Minister gave a positive assessment of the plans for economic diversification of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. She noted that Bulgarian companies are interested in participating in the implementation of new engineering and construction projects in the country. There are also opportunities for cooperation in the fields of security, energy and agriculture.
"We believe that the new Embassy of Bulgaria, which will soon be opened in Riyadh, will contribute significantly to the development of bilateral cooperation in areas of common interest," Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva said. The first Bulgarian diplomats are already working in Riyadh, and our first Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in the Kingdom Dimitar Abadzhiev is expected to depart within days.
The process of structural reforms in Saudi Arabia has already yielded its results, the two ministers said. Parallel to improving economic performance, work is also being done to empower women, including by providing more opportunities for professional realization.
The first two diplomats also discussed the situation in the Middle East, uniting the view that promoting political dialogue and understanding in the region are paramount for achieving long-term stability.
The Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria and Saudi Arabia also discussed the preparations for the forthcoming EU-Liga Arab League Summit at the end of the month, to be held in Egypt.
This is the fourth meeting between Zaharieva and Al-Jubaira - the first was in New York during the UN General Assembly session in 2017, the second in Riyadh in the first official visit of Bulgarian Prime Minister to Saudi Arabia, and the third - Sofia.
Subsequently, a number of visits were made to representatives of Saudi ministries and agencies - the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, the Saudi Fund for Public Investment, the Agency for Investments in Agriculture and Livestock.
For the first time, Bulgaria participated in the Saudi Agro Food 2018 International Exhibition in Riyadh in October 2018. The two countries are working to create a joint venture to implement projects in the production of fodder and meat exports from Bulgaria to Saudi Arabia.
