Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Riman and Slovenian Economy Minister Andrej Vizjak met on Tuesday to discuss EU issues, Slovenian preparations for its stint at the helm of the EU in 2008 and economic cooperation.
Cooperation between the two EU newcomers is very important if they are to carry out demanding projects efficiently, especially their EU presidencies, Vizjak told the press. The Czech Republic will hold the rotating EU presidency a year after Slovenia.
Vizjak also said that both countries expected some kind of a solution for the EU constitution from the Portuguese presidency, which would be a green light for further expansion of the bloc. He added that enlargement was also important from the vantage point of economic cooperation, as the Western Balkans countries were an important partner for Slovenia and the Czech Republic. The ministers agreed that economic cooperation between the countries was good and without difficulties. According to the Economy Ministry, bilateral trade amounted to EUR 793.1m in 2006, a 13.3% increase over the previous year. Last year Slovenia exported EUR 392.4m-worth of goods to the Czech Republic (up 22.1% year-on-year), while the value of imports stood at EUR 401.7m (+5.8%). In Vizjak's opinion, the reduction of the gap was a good basis for further cooperation. Last year the Czech Republic was the 12th most important trading partner for Slovenia.
The ministers also discussed the use of renewable sources in electricity production, with Vizjak saying he was glad that both countries support the use of nuclear energy. The Czech Republic and Slovakia are organising a forum on nuclear energy that will take place in Bratislava in September. Vizjak added that the Czech Republic could be an important partner in assuring mandatory oil reserves.
Riman meanwhile said that foreign direct investment per capita in the Czech Republic was approximately twice as high as in Slovenia. This is not bad considering that the state still owns relatively many companies in Slovenia, while the Czech Republic only owned six to seven companies, he said. According to Vizjak, the numbers will be similar when some sectors, such as telecommunications and energy, are privatised in Slovenia. Riman also met chair of the parliamentary Economy Committee Franc Horvat today.
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