Doha: HE President of the Republic of Slovenia Dr. Natasa Pirc Musar emphasized that Qatar is a trusted partner of Slovenia and expressed her hope that the partnership between the two countries would reach broader horizons, as both are bound by distinguished relations based on mutual respect, shared interests, and fruitful cooperation. In her remarks during the Qatar-Slovenia Business Meeting, Her Excellency said that the State of Qatar is highly developed, and that Slovenia is interested in developing cooperation relations with Qatar in all fields. She also noted that there are many similarities between the two countries in terms of Qatar Vision 2030 and Slovenia's vision in terms of economic diversity, sustainability, and innovation, which opens up many horizons for cooperation and partnership between the two sides.
According to Qatar News Agency, during the meeting that was attended by First Vice-Chairman of the Qatar Chamber Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari, HE Non-Resident Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Republic of Slovenia Jassim Yaqoub Al Hammadi, and HE Non-Resident Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the State of Qatar Natalia Al Mansour, Her Excellency invited Qatari business owners to visit Slovenia and learn more about its economic advantages, investment climate, and available opportunities, particularly in light of the country's developments in science, technology, pharmaceutical industries, infrastructure, green technology, and other sectors.
Her Excellency highlighted the vast opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, noting that Slovenia's economy is strong, diversified, and open to Qatari investments. She indicated that the accompanying delegation includes 25 leading Slovenian companies eager to cooperate with Qatari counterparts across various sectors. Her Excellency noted that trade exchange between the two countries remains below expectations, underscoring her country's keen interest in elevating it to higher levels.
In the same context, HE the Slovenian President attended the exchange of a memorandum of understanding signed between Qatar Chamber and Slovenia Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For his part, First Vice-Chairman of the Qatar Chamber Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari welcomed the visit of HE the President of Slovenia and her accompanying delegation, praising her keenness on boosting cooperation between the Qatari and Slovenian business communities and exploring investment opportunities available in both countries.
He pointed out that Qatari Slovenian relations have witnessed remarkable development in recent years; however, the volume of trade exchange between the two countries remains below expectations, reaching about QAR 138 million last year, despite the strong ties and mutual willingness to advance relations further. First Vice-Chairman of the Qatar Chamber, Mohamed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari emphasized the great potential and promising opportunities for enhancing cooperation between the business communities in both countries, particularly in the sectors of renewable energy, tourism, technology, food security, pharmaceutical industries, and logistics services.
He stressed the Qatar Chamber's interest in enhancing trade and investment cooperation with various friendly countries, as it works through its joint committees and business councils to expand communication channels between business owners in Qatar and their counterparts abroad, which contributes to establishing successful strategic projects and partnerships. Bin Twar said that Slovenia enjoys a developed investment environment, a strategic location in the heart of Europe, and a diversified economy based on innovation and advanced technology.
He also expected that the MoU signed during the meeting would add further momentum to cooperation between business communities and investors from both sides by organizing more business forums, bilateral meetings, and trade delegations, which would help exchange expertise and explore new investment opportunities. Bin Twar affirmed the Qatar Chamber's readiness to boost both countries' economic and commercial exchange, providing support to Slovenian business owners wishing to enter the Qatari market or establishing partnerships with Qatari companies.
For her part, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (CCIS) Executive Manager Marjana Majeric said that the meeting constitutes an important platform for exploring partnerships, cooperation, investment opportunities and exchanging experiences between the business community in both countries. She noted that the signing of the MoU between both chambers represents a qualitative leap to enhance cooperation at the private sector level. Majeric invited Qatari investors to visit her country to learn about the opportunities available there, hold talks with Slovenian companies, and review several initiatives related to sustainability and innovation there.
In turn, Qatar Chamber Board Member, Ibtihaj Al Ahmadani said that the MoU signed between the Qatar and Slovenia chambers represents an important step towards enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the two friendly countries. During the meeting, Nasser Al Kaabi from the Investment Promotion Agency Qatar (Invest Qatar), delivered a presentation on Qatar's investment climate and the country's wide range of opportunities available to foreign investors. Meanwhile, representatives from Slovenia's Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport and the Slovenia Business Development Agency also gave their presentations, in addition to international lawyer Floriane Lavaud presenting a paper titled "Qatari Slovenian Relations: A Growing Partnership."