Qatar says to invest in smaller Greek firms

DOHA, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Qatar signed an agreement with Greece on Tuesday for the wealthy Gulf state to invest in small and medium-sized Greek companies, officials from both countries said.

The agreement was reached during a visit by Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras to Qatar.

Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani told a news conference that his country was prepared to put 1 billion euros ($1.34 billion) into a fund to conduct the investment, with Greece providing a similar amount. But he added that a timetable for the scheme had not been set.

Samaras, who postponed his trip to Qatar in November when Athens was locked in talks with its euro zone lenders for further aid to the country, is accompanied by his development and defence ministers and a team of Greek business leaders.