The government confirmed on Thursday an agreement on Russia's clearing debt to Slovenia, under which Russia is to settle the US$ 129m debt in goods and services over three years. The deal is now in the hands of the finance and economy ministries.
The agreement on the settling of the debt, which stems from trade between the former Soviet Union and the former Yugoslavia, was reached by Russian and Slovenian negotiators in December last year.
It determines that Russia will have to pay cash plus interest if it fails to settle the debt in three years.
The list of goods and services through which Russia is to repay Slovenia has already been agreed on in a separate protocol and includes foremost economic services and equipment for industry.
Slovenian Finance Minister Andrej Bajuk said in December that there was also the possibility of compensation though investments in energy and military equipment. Compensation through oil supplies was not an option, according to Bajuk.
The clearing debt has been a topic of discussions since Slovenia's independence in 1991.
Although the countries reached an agreement in principle in December 2003, Russia later shied away from the deal.
Talks on the issue hit a standstill in 2004 and were opened again in May this year, during a visit by PM Janez Jansa to Moscow, as Russia unveiled a new proposal.
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