GORKI, December 10 (Itar-Tass) - Europe’s economic crisis will not endanger co-operation between Russia and Slovenia, given that the countries’ trade turnover growth is achieved irrespective of Russian energy supplies, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said on Tuesday after talks with his Slovenian counterpart Alenka Bratusek.
“We have no fears about the future of our co-operation with Slovenia,” Medvedev said. “It is true that our trade with some European states has shown a slight decrease, as the European economy is currently on the brink of a recession. However, there has been an increase in trade with Slovenia both this year and the previous years because this growth is achieved irrespective of Russian energy supplies.”
In particular, there was a significant increase in the high-tech industry and tourism, Medvedev said.
“The number of tourists has grown by a third year-on-year,” he noted, adding that these were mostly Russian travellers to Slovenia.
Besides, there was a certain growth in the information technology sector and the pharmaceuticals industry, determined mostly by larger imports from Slovenia to Russia, he said.
“We should not revolve around energy supplies. In the last two years, trade turnover went up without changing the prices or volumes of energy supplies, but rather due to larger imports from Slovenia,” Medvedev stressed. “The amount of Slovenian investments in Russia is even greater than that of Russian to Slovenia. And there are opportunities for further co-operation in this field.”
Slovenian Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek also noted that both countries “do not fear that the crisis might influence their relations”.
“Our trade is growing year on year, and I see no reason why it should stop,” she said, adding that “Slovenia has not overcome the crisis yet, but the situation is getting better from month to month”.
“Compared with the second quarter, the third quarter results indicate that the collapse of the economy and the government has come to an end,” Bratusek said. “This is encouraging.