site.btaPrime Minister Borissov Confers with Spanish Foreign Minister

111 POLITICS-PRIME MINISTER-FOREIGN MINISTER-SPAIN-MEETING

Prime Minister Borissov
Confers with
Spanish Foreign Minister


Sofia, May 12 (BTA) - Prime Minister Boyko Borissov on Tuesday
conferred with Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel
Garcia-Margallo y Marfil, who is on an official visit here at
the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart, the government
information service said.

The two discussed the development of bilateral relations,
cooperation within the EU and possibilities for advancement of
partnership between the two countries. The two concurred that as
EU's external borders Bulgaria and Spain share similar
problems in relation to migration. Garcia-Margallo and Borissov
discussed the challenges to EU countries arising from migrant
flows within the context of the latest decisions of the
European Council.

Garcia-Margallo attended a Bulgarian-Spanish forum at the
Sheraton. Addressing the participants, Economy Minister Bozhidar
Loukarski said that to attract larger Spanish investments,
Bulgaria needs political stability, which is already in
evidence. The legal framework is also on the to-do list. Work is
under way on changes in the regulation of public procurement
and the judiciary's operation, which are important for business.
He expects these changes to ensure a more stable business
environment and attract larger Spanish investments.

Loukarski identified real opportunities for Spanish investments
in railway transport and infrastructure maintenance, industrial
and household waste management and the energy sector, among
others.

Between 1996 and 2014, Spanish direct investments in Bulgaria
totalled 873.2 million euro, making Spain the 15th largest
investor. In 2014 alone, Spanish investments stood at 34.9
million euro and two-way trade topped 1,700 million euro. The
last ten years have seen an upward trend in Bulgarian-Spanish
trade, which continued in January 2015. Loukarski said there is
also a potential for cooperation with Spain in the textile
industry, car components manufacture, telecommunications and
tourism.

Answering a question, the Economy Minister said that projects
and EU financing tended to concentrate in the same companies
during the programming period 2007-2013. Under the new
Operational Programme Innovations and Competitiveness, companies
which have already used EU money will have a lower score which
may leave some of them without fresh EU financing.
VI/PP,DD