Barcelona MP Josep Antoni Duran i Lleida met with Bulgarian Foreign Minster Ivailo Kalfin on a working visit to Sofia on July 16.

Duran i Lleida is head of the Spanish foreign relations commission in the country's congress. He is also president of the parliamentary group Unió Democrática de Catalunya.

During their time together, Kalfin underlined the positive relations between the two countries, saying that the businesspersons accompanying Duran i Lleida on the trip signalled a confidence and investment possibilities in the Bulgarian economy.

They also talked about cultural connections, given that Sofia houses the largest Spanish cultural centre – the Instituto Cervantes – on the Balkans. The Bulgarian public has a continued interest in learning Spanish, Kalfin said, as relayed in a press release from the Foreign Ministry.

And despite Bulgarians' great love of Spain – many of them have moved there in the past to find job opportunities – and Spain's good treatment of the immigrants, Kalfin said that Bulgaria was still encouraging them to return to their home country. Those who do come back will be able to receive professional training via a new programme aimed at Bulgarians abroad.

Moving on to more wide-spread issues, the two men discussed the two countries' common position on many current international issues, particularly in light of their European Union membership. The ministry's statement had Kalfin down as saying that Bulgaria and Spain were working on a twining project that dealt with the assimilation of eurofunds, political co-operation and more.

Kalfin and Duran i Lleida also discussed the recent Paris Summit for the Mediterranean Union, where the union was made official. At that meeting, Barcelona was discussed as a possible headquarters for the association.

Kalfin said that, as a country, Bulgaria held no allegiance to either the northern EU countries or the more southern, because both were equally important. He said that the Western Balkans and a realisation of Black Sea-region synergy were part of Bulgaria's greatest foreign policy priorities.

Adela Clemente de Pedret, Bulgarian consul in Barcelona, also attended the day's meetings.