SOFIA, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Bulgaria aims for China to become the largest foreign investor in the Balkan country by 2013, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Simeon Djankov said Friday.

"By the end of our mandate in 2013, I would like China to become the number one foreign investor in Bulgaria," Djankov said at the start of a meeting with Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng.

Gao, who is also China's International Trade Representative, visited Bulgaria to participate in the 14th session of the Bulgarian-Chinese intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation.

Aside from meeting Djankov, Gao also met Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Economy Minister Traicho Traikov.

The two sides discussed possibilities of expanding bilateral trade, promotion of cooperation between small and medium enterprises from the two sides as well as the expansion of Chinese investment in Bulgaria.

Bilateral trade between China and Bulgaria was worth a total of 737 million U.S. dollars and has been growing fast this year.

Nevertheless, the ministers said they saw great prospects for mutually beneficial partnership in sectors such as renewable energy, nuclear energy, tourism, electronics, road infrastructure, transport and logistics.

Bulgaria and China are now in talks over building a joint industrial zone near Sofia, a project of "great importance" to Bulgaria, he said.

Source：news.xinhuanet.com