More than 2000 Belgian companies are doing business with Slovenia. Foto: BoBo
More than 2000 Belgian companies are doing business with Slovenia. Foto: BoBo
The Belgians also have some positive experience with investments in Slovenia. Foto: EPA

Slovenia doesn't trade much with Belgium. Exports from Belgium to Slovenia are on 52nd place, while imports are on 73rd place. The President of ' The Ambassadors Club of Slovenia in Belgium' Philippe Suinen believes that the two countries have many untapped opportunities for collaboration. According to him, the most interesting sectors for business with Slovenia are tourism, construction, infrastructure, transport, automotive parts and more.

More than 2000 Belgian companies are doing business with Slovenia. Trade between the two countries reached 655 million euros last year, with more than 400 million euros coming from Slovenian imports. The business meeting also included representatives from about twenty Slovenian companies, from Žito to Delamaris, who all tried to balance out the import-export ratio.

Experts say it makes sense to have a local representative in Belgium. A Slovene company called Cleangrad, which offers so called clean rooms for the pharmaceutical industry and hospitals, also successfully works through an agent in Belgium.

The Belgians also have some positive experience with investments in Slovenia. Erwin De Deyn, vice president of the Beaulieu International Group, says that the takeover of the company Juteks from Žalec, which makes flooring systems, is a success story. According to him if all goes according to plan their investment will return in less than 4 years and all of the people employed at the company are still working there.

Deyn also believes that the two countries have a lot in common, including their size, great location, open access to markets in the region and the quality of employees.