site.btaBulgarian, Lebanese Foreign Ministers Discuss Setting Up of Intergovernmental Commission

March 29 (BTA) - Bulgaria's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva and Lebanon's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Gebran Bassil Friday discussed the setting up of a joint commission of the two governments.

Bassil is here on an official visit at Zaharieva's invitation.

The commission will focus on the economy, agriculture, education, culture and tourism. The aim is to boost two-way trade, tourism and reciprocal investments.

In 2018 trade increased by 20 per cent from the previous year and now stands at 175 million US dollars. The two foreign ministers believe this falls a long way short of the potential. The joint commission and closer cooperation between the two countries' employer and business organizations will push up trade and investments very quickly, said Zaharieva.

The two chief diplomats discussed a possible direct air service between Bulgaria and Lebanon. It will become a fact when tourismpicks up and some 5,000 Lebanese tourists start travelling to Bulgaria in the summer, said Zaharieva.

The two officials agreed to work with their countries' educationministries to reinstate the student grants which were available in the past.

Political consultations, last held in 1996, will resume and one round will be held in Sofia by the year's end. The idea is to hold them regularly.

Lebanon is one of the countries which bore the brunt of helping the Syrian war refugees, Zaharieva said. "We should create conditions for their return so they can go back home and start rebuilding their State and institutions," she said.

The foreign ministers concurred that refugees should return to a safe environment, of their own accord, and the international community should support this process.   

Meeting with the Lebanese Foreign Minister, President Rumen Radev noted that the EU should be more committed and engaged in the efforts to restore stability in the Middle East, Radev's
press secretariat said. He called for support for programmes aimed to strengthen security and the economy, to improve the social, education and health care systems of the countries of the region, so that young people can be involved in solving the challenges of their countries, said Radev.

He was adamant that the migrant crisis is a challenge to the whole of Europe, and that the EU should not observe developments in the Middle East indifferently but should actively encourage, through its policies, the quest for effective ways to deal with the causes of migrant waves.

National Assembly Chairperson Tsveta Karayancheva and Bassil discussed possible ways to deepen relations between Bulgaria and Lebanon. Karayancheva noted the long-standing traditions of friendship and mutually advantageous cooperation between Bulgaria and Lebanon, Parliament's press office said.

The Lebanese Foreign Minister stressed that the two countries should expand and deepen their relations and there are no obstacles to this. They can cooperate in the economy,
investments, tourism and culture, Bassil said. RY,IG/DD