The main problem highlighter by the participants was the difficulty of obtaining visas for foreign business partners, often because Slovenia's nearest diplomatic mission is far.
Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said Slovenia was planning to open new embassies, including in Libya and in the Gulf, and appoint several honorary consuls, in particular in India and Russia.
He acknowledged that getting a visa was relatively complex, but noted that the rules were the same for all Schengen zone countries and could not be bypassed.
Zbogar spoke about established tools of economic diplomacy, such as expanding the consular network and organising business delegations accompanying the prime minister or the president on foreign visits.
But he also said it would soon be possible for companies to have temporary offices on embassy premises until they have set up shop in that market. Such offices will shortly open in Istanbul, New Delhi and Shanghai.
The government's action plan for internationalisation of companies, due to be adopted in a fortnight, also includes a special fund for embassies to finance promotional activities aimed to help business.
The action plan, prepared in conjunction with business representatives, was hailed as a "great opportunity" by Saso Hribar Milic, the director general of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS).
Director of IT firm Spica International said Western Balkans should be the priority in economic diplomacy, while emphasis should be placed on IT and green technology.
Croatia's honorary consul in Slovenia Bozo Dimnik meanwhile spoke of the importance of informal connections, saying they were useful for business ties as well as resolution of political issues.
Source: THE SLOVENIA TIMES
