Boyko Borisov, leader of center-right party GERB, has vowed a direct flight connecting the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Sofia in 2015.

Borisov, former Prime Minister and leader of the GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) party, met with Engineer Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansoori, UAE Minister of Economy on Thursday in Dubai, according to the press office of GERB.

The meeting was organized thanks to the UAE Ambassador in Brusels Sulaiman Hamid Almazroui.

Other participants in the meeting were Lilyana Pavlova, GERB MP and former Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, and Delyan Dobrev, GERB MP and former Economy and Energy Minister.

"Direct flights will be the first step towards expanding cooperation between UAE and Bulgaria. This will lead to an increase in tourist flow and an increase in business contacts between the two countries," Borisov said.

He reminded that Qatar Airways had also launched a direct flight to Sofia after his visit in his capacity as Bulgarian Prime Minister.

Borisov and Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori agreed that Bulgaria and the UAE had to join efforts to restore cooperation in the sphere of agriculture and foods which had been most active in the 70s and 80s.

The Minister of Economy of the UAE announced that he would visit Bulgaria in October as part of a business delegation.

"Bulgaria occupies a very strategic place and has many ideas which we can implement. Food security is very important to us," Al Mansoori declared.

He expressed interest in lamb imports from Bulgaria, while Borisov assured him that Bulgarian products were compliant with European quality requirements.

"Bulgaria has over 600 mineral springs and ranks second in the world by mineral water resources after Iceland," the leader of GERB noted, recommending tourism as a sphere of bilateral cooperation.

Borisov suggested that Al Mansoori hold meetings with the mayors of big cities during his visit to Bulgaria.

They agreed that it was essential to sign a memorandum of understanding on economic cooperation after the visit of the UAE delegation to Bulgaria.

Borisov also met with Hamad Buamim, President & CEO of Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Majed Hamad Al Shamsi, First Vice Chair of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

During his meetings with the two, Borisov promoted Bulgaria as an investment destination.

Hamad Buamim recommended that Bulgaria step up advertisement in the UAE.

Borisov extended invitations to the two to visit Bulgaria.

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