The companies of Qatar are willing to cooperate with the Republic of Macedonia, said the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, at his meeting with Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov on Thursday.

At the meeting, the first since Sheikh Al Thani's ascent to the throne, the two officials said they were pleased by both countries' commitment to developing further bilateral relations.

According to Emir Al Thani, business relations are expected to intensify in the period to come. As areas in which there is keen interest to promote relations, he highlighted agriculture, food production, construction, infrastructure, tourism, real estate and telecommunications.

President Ivanov informed his host about the favorable investment climate in Macedonia, the performance of the Macedonian economy, and the positive assessments from relevant international institutions of Macedonia's economic reforms and results. Multilateral cooperation was also among the issues tabled at the meeting.

President Ivanov's Office stated that it had been agreed that cooperation and mutual support in the system of the United Nations, especially within the framework of the Alliance of Civilization, in which Macedonia and Qatar play active parts, should continue.

Emir Al Thani praised Macedonia's role in the Alliance of Civilizations saying the Macedonian model of honoring differences was a very positive one that should be further promoted within the framework of this global initiative.