Al Thani was received by counterpart Zdravko Počivalšek before attending the first session of the Slovenian-Qatari commission for economy and technology at Brdo pri Kranju.

The pair agreed that the EUR 26.7m in mutual trade conducted by the two countries last year, EUR 17m of which were imports from Qatar, leave ample room for expanding cooperation, the Economy Ministry said.

The Qatari minister praised Slovenia's economic results and expressed interest in investing in the country, especially in tourism, healthcare and education.

Al Thani is accompanied in Slovenia by a business delegation that is interested above all in cooperation in information and communication technology, energy sector, construction of office buildings or sports infrastructure, and tourism services.

Presenting opportunities in Slovenia are Slovenian companies that are already active or plan to become active in Qatar.

Entrepreneurs from the two countries active in the mixed commission for economic and technology will also hold talks at Brdo pri Kranju on Wednesday.

Foreign Minister Karl Minister also received Al Thani at Brdo today and the pair agreed that excellent political relations between the two countries were a good basis for facilitating economic cooperation and investment.

The ministers agreed on the need to sign an agreement on encouraging and protecting investments and establishing a direct air connection between the countries.

Presenting opportunities for stronger cooperation, Erjavec focused on infrastructure, the financial sector and the high-tech potential of Slovenian SMEs.

Slovenian companies can also contribute to the Qatar economy, notably also in the organisation of the 2022 World Cup, the foreign minister assessed.