MOSCOW, Nov 27 (Hina) - Croatian Vice-Premier Slavko Linic suggested in Moscow on Tuesday that Croatia compensate for its deficit in trade with Russia by increasing its export of services, primarily in the shipbuilding industry and
tourism. Linic ended his two-day working visit to Moscow today by meeting Russian Vice-Premier and Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin. The two officials discussed the expansion of economic and trade relations and the payment of Croatia's share in Moscow's clearing debt towards the former Yugoslavia. Last year's trade between Russia and Croatia amounted to USD727 million. This year has seen an increase in trade, which is expected to exceed USD800 million. The main problem for Croatia is a high trade deficit. Linic suggested that Croatia increase its exports to the Russian market by providing services, primarily in the shipbuilding industry, to the Russian
MOSCOW, Nov 27 (Hina) - Croatian Vice-Premier Slavko Linic
suggested in Moscow on Tuesday that Croatia compensate for its
deficit in trade with Russia by increasing its export of services,
primarily in the shipbuilding industry and tourism.
Linic ended his two-day working visit to Moscow today by meeting
Russian Vice-Premier and Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin.
The two officials discussed the expansion of economic and trade
relations and the payment of Croatia's share in Moscow's clearing
debt towards the former Yugoslavia.
Last year's trade between Russia and Croatia amounted to USD727
million. This year has seen an increase in trade, which is expected
to exceed USD800 million.
The main problem for Croatia is a high trade deficit. Linic
suggested that Croatia increase its exports to the Russian market
by providing services, primarily in the shipbuilding industry, to
the Russian trade fleet and attracting more Russian tourists to the
Adriatic coast.
Kudrin and Linic also discussed Russian investments in Croatia's
power, oil and gas industries, and the Croatian official suggested
that Russian companies join in the process of privatisation in
Croatia, use free trade zones along the coast and on islands and
open joint companies with Croatia there.
With regard to the clearing debt, it has been agreed that the debt
should be settled mostly with Russian goods, and Croatia would
suggest the goods it wants the debt to be settled with.
A major incentive to the expansion of the economic and trade
cooperation should be the implementation of a protocol on the
integration of the Adria Druzba oil pipeline which Linic and
Russian Energy Minister Igor Jusufov signed in Moscow on Monday.
Under the protocol, as of next fall Russian oil should be carried
with the pipeline via Belarus, Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary to the
Croatian terminal at Omisalj, from where it would be transported
with tankers to the western markets.
(hina) sb rml