Slovenia, a country with great economic ambitions in Romania

Trade exchanges between the two countries reached €650 million in 2014, and despite a remarkable growth by 35% of Romanian exports, compared to a year before, the trade balance stays favorable to Slovenia which is the 45-46th foreign investor in our country.

It is 11.7 times smaller in terms of land area it is inhabited by 9.6 times less people than Romania, yet Slovenia’s economic success could be a good lesson to learn for everyone in Romania. Not only has the number of Slovenian companies present in our country increased fourfold since a decade ago, from 55 to around 200, but every year some 80 to 100 firms ask for assistance from the Slovenian Embassy in Bucharest.

Whether they are new prospective investors or they have an already consolidated presence in our country, but seek to expand their businesses, these companies regard Romania as an opportunity. What attracts Slovenian companies here? On one had, it’s the sheer size of the market, second only to Poland in this part of Europe. Secondly, some businesspeople of the older generations make good use of the valuable contacts they had established in the time of the Yugoslav-Romanian trade. Thirdly, there’s the geographic proximity, allowing even farther expansion to other markets eastwards.

Read more in The Art of Living magazine printed edition