Sofia, January 26 (BTA) - Swiss investments in the Bulgarian economy between January and September 2017 amounted to 128.3 million euro, Economy Minister Emil Karanikolov said at a meeting with the Bulgarian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce (BSCC) on Friday, as quoted by his ministry's press office. He said Switzerland is a leading investor in Bulgaria, having contributed some 2 billion euro in net direct investments over the last 20 years.

The meeting was attended by senior executives of over 40 companies.

Karanikolov thanked Swiss businesses in Bulgaria for supporting the Swiss-led DOMINO project introducing dual track principles in the Bulgarian vocational education system. Over 55 Bulgarian school students are undergoing training in Swiss companies under the project, the minister said.

He presented to the BSCC measures for improving the business environment, promoting investment and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, and outlined the economic priorities of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Between January and September 2017, Bulgarian exports to Switzerland amounted to 100.5 million euro, putting Switzerland in 28th place among the Bulgarian export markets, while Swiss imports to Bulgaria stood at 145.9 million euro, making Switzerland the 25th largest importer to Bulgaria, the press release said.