Thaindian News

Chennai, Dec 27 (IANS) In order to increase the bilateral trade with India, the southern European country of Slovenia is inviting investments in its auto sector while its engineering companies are open to transfer technology to Indian corporates, said the country’s envoy.

“We invite Indian auto component companies to invest in Slovenia. Our pharma companies can cooperate with Indian drug manufacturers in generics. We would also invite Indian movie makers to look at Slovenia as a shooting locale. Our country is more beautiful than Switzerland but at half the cost of the latter,” Slovenian Ambassador Janez Premoze told reporters here Tuesday.

According to him, Slovenia offers easier access to European markets for Indian companies.

He said the bilateral trade between India and Slovenia during Jan-Sept 2011 is around 191 million euros (approx $250 mn).

Slovenia has exported goods worth around 60 million euros to India and imported around 131 million euro worth of goods from India.

“We are also looking at cultural and academic exchanges between India and Slovenia,” Premoze added.

Slovenia opened its consular office here Tuesday to setrve the southern part of the country.

“We are negotiating with couple of parties to outsource the visa processing activities. In two months time it will be decided. Currently visas are issued in New Delhi,” Premoze said.

He said around 10,000 Indian tourists visit Slovenia every year.

Honorary Consul Amit Goel said: “Slovenia has a wonderful landscape with Alps in the north and the Adriatic Sea in the south. The coastline is just 46 km long but is home to hundreds of yatches belonging to people from northern Europe.”

He said Slovenians are interested in Indian culture with some attending the cultural festivals in India every year.

“We plan to take a Bharathanatyam troupe to Slovenia in near future,” he remarked.