During a meeting with President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, who was on a visit to Bulgaria on Thursday, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov noted the importance of attracting Israeli investments to the Bulgarian economy.

According to him, this was the best continuation of the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries and their people.

Borisov identified Israel as an important and perspective commercial partner of Bulgaria, the government's press service informed.

His expectations were that all efforts invested in this direction would lead to increase in mutual trade, investments and tourism between the two countries.

He noted the gradual increase in Bulgarian exports in the past two years, especially in the food processing industry. Borisov also pointed out the Bulgarian experience in sectors such as tourism and infrastructure.

In his opinion, opportunities for development of bilateral relations also existed in the energy sector, above all in the exploitation and transit of gas jointly with other partner states.

He highlighted the efforts of the Bulgarian government in the area of energy diversification.

During their meeting, the two also discussed the situation in Europe and the Middle East and assessed positively the cooperation between the two governments in the security sphere.

Borisov presented to Rivlin the measures Bulgaria is taking against the terrorist threat and the bill on countering terrorism adopted by the government on Wednesday.

The Bulgarian prime minister and Israeli president were firm that the fight against extremism and terrorism is a common cause in the name of safeguarding the values of the civilisation to which the two countries belong.