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Slovenia's leaders visit Belgrade to negotiate trade ties |
BELGRADE, Jun 18, 2002 - Slovenia's prime minister led a senior delegation of business and
political leaders on a visit to Yugoslavia on Tuesday, marking the most significant effort yet to rebuild ties between the former partners in the federation.
Slovenia's Prime Minster Janez Drnovsek and leaders from two dozen major companies arrived here anxious to expand ties with Yugoslavia.
Drnovsek is the first Slovene prime minister to visit Belgrade since Slovenia broke away from the former Yugoslavia in 1991. He was to meet with Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica later in the day and with Zoran Djindjic, the prime minister of Yugoslavia's larger republic, Serbia.
"With this visit, we finally close certain past chapters of our relations and accelerate future cooperation," Drnovsek said.
Dragisa Pesic, the prime minister of the federation that now consists only of Serbia and Montenegro, said that he hopes for an improvement in the balance of trade, which is now heavily in Slovenia's favor.
The balance of trade between the two countries was 114 million euros (dlrs 107 million) during first four months this year.
Slovenia is also interested in buying stakes in dozens of state-run companies that are being
privatized in Serbia.
Representatives of Yugoslav Airlines and Slovenia's Adria Airways are also to meet in the coming days to try settle an old and complex dispute over debts and assets which date back to the turbulent days when the former Yugoslavia collapsed.
"I wish that Yugoslavia will catch up to Slovenia as soon as possible on the road to European integration," Drnovsek said.
Drnovsek, who had once been president of former Yugoslavia before the six-republic federation dissolved, also signed several trade agreements. Representatives of oil, chemical, pharmaceutical industries were among those who attended the talks.
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