Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec invited Monday Russian investors to participate in his country's privatization plan to help the country alleviate its economic difficulties.

Due to its growing financial difficulties since 2008, the Slovenian government is considering serveral options to solve the problem of bad loans, including the sale of the country's leading telecommunications operator Telekom Slovenije, and a dozen of state-owned enterprises.

"We would like Russian investors to participate in this privatization," Erjave said after his meeting with visiting Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolay Anatolyevich Nikiforov here.

"We also invite Russian investors to participate in the privatization of companies in the next package to be debated in parliament in autumn," he added, describing Russia as an important strategic trade partner of Slovenia.

Bilateral trade between Slovenia and Russia has increased by 22 percent this year while the number of Russian visitors to Slovenia in the first half of this year has also surged by 36 percent compared to the same period last year, according to Erjavec.

For his part, Nikiforov told reporters after the meeting that Russian companies, the financial and industrial groups in particular, have great interest in Slovenia's privatization plan.



Slovenian telecommunication giant Telekom Slovenije, the country's airport operator Aerodrom Ljubljana and banks are particularly under the consideration of Russian entrepreneurs, he said.

"Slovenia would benefit from an influx of new investment and new jobs in the economy, while potential Russian investors would not only get into the Slovenian market, but also into the market of other EU countries," Nikiforov said.