In the view of the above, Mr. Verbič also discussed numerous possibilities to deepen and give concrete expression to the collaboration between the two countries, including the investment possibilities for Russian businesses in Slovenia. In fact, the VZMD conducted expert analyses and identified important cooperation areas and opportunities lacking proper attention.

In addition to the energy sector (including the possibilities to upgrade the current collaboration between the Russian company Gazprom and the Slovenian company Geoplin/Petrol) particular emphasis was placed on the banking and trade sectors. In view of the consolidation of the Slovenian banking system and the planned sale of the third largest bank (Abanka), the Russian Sberbank, which is already present in the region, was brought up as having potential interest in it. In the context of various possible alternatives and potential strategic orientations, the VZMD President brought attention to the fact that Sberbank was indirectly the biggest economic owner of Mercator (now part of Agrokor).    

Mr. Verbič also attended a meeting with the representatives of the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ICIE), where he, as a member of the Executive Board of the European Federation of Investors and Financial Services Users (Better Finance), addressed the signaled desire to establish a potential cooperation between the two organizations, and invited the ICIE representatives to the forthcoming meeting of Better Finance, which will take place in Bucharest in April. It will be in Bucharest, that Better Finance, an organization established by the Ljubljana Declaration (VIDEO), which merged Euroshareholders and EuroInvestors, will celebrate its 10th anniversary. In addition to that, the event will feature elections to the Executive Board, at which Mr. Verbič will run for his 4th term.

At present, the VZMD strives to deepen the relations and cooperation with business representatives from the Russian Federation. In the past, the VZMD was actively involved in the organization of the resounding Slovene-Russian Investors' Conference in Moscow (VIDEO), on the occasion of the visit from the Slovenian Prime Minister to the President of the Russian Federation in 2013, in the business delegation accompanying the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia on his visit to the Russian Federation in October 2013, in the business delegation to Yaroslavl (VIDEO) in September 2014, and participated at the events accompanying a visit of the President of the Russian Federation in Slovenia in 2016 (VIDEO).

Immediately after his meetings in Moscow, Mr. Verbič traveled to Istanbul, where he participated at the Annual Meeting and celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Foundation for Sustainable Peace and Development (IFSPD), and continued his tour in Luxembourg. There he attended the annual event of the Luxembourg business angels network, and concluded this year's 3rd international tour in Brussels, as an invitee to the celebration marking the 20th anniversary of the European Business Angel Network (EBAN), with which the VZMD has successfully cooperated since its annual congress in 2013 in Vienna (VIDEO).

Other Related International Activities:

VIDEO REPORT - UEFA, RZS, Atlantic Grupa, Better Finance and VZMD presidents, mayors and ministers talk about sport as the business promoter

VIDEO REPORT - Opening of the »Slovenia Business Center« during the European handball championship with active participation of VZMD international programs

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from Wroclaw - 4 days of exceptional opportunities in »Slovenian Center«, juncture for business, investment and promotional interests

SLOVENIAN CENTER IN WROCLAW - large attendance and numerous opportunities for Slovenia's promotion, as well as promising business collaborations, also within the VZMD's business-investor programs and the premiere of its PRESENTATIONAL VIDEO

VIDEO INVITATION – Opportunity for company presentations - »SLOVENIAN BUSINESS CENTER« at the European handball championship

VIDEO REPORT from 10^th Bled Strategic Forum - the largest foreign affairs event in Slovenia

VIDEO REPORT on the 6^th this year's tour of the VZMD's international business-investor programs and its focal part - business angels delegation in Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia

VIDEO REPORT and a brief VIDEO IMPRESSION from the Better Finance, the high visibility international conference in Brussels – readily applicable also to the circumstances and perspectives in Slovenia

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from Istanbul - the European Business Angels Investment Forum 2014

EXSCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT »Radenci-Gorica-Ljubljana-Portorož-Helsinki-Praia-Brussels« about this year's 8th tour of the international business-investment programmes VZMD – four important conferences across Slovenia, the European Business Angels Network Conference in Helsinki, the European Commission delegation »Mission for Growth« at Cape Verde, and the »European Small and Mid-Cap Awards 2014« in Brussels

BRUSSELS – conclusion of a tree-week tour of the VZMD international business investment programmes, and the prestigious »European Small and Mid-Cap Awards 2014«, as well as preparatory meetings related to investo.si in investo.international activities in 2015

PRAIA – VZMD President attending a special reception hosted by the President of the Cape Verde Republic. The VZMD President has also discussed the possibilities of a better cooperation with the Prime Minister and some members of the government, along with the visit of the »Mission for Growth« delegation led by the European Commission – an intense interest in the VZMD international investment programmes

PRAIA – VZMD President attending a special reception hosted by the President of the Cape Verde Republic. The VZMD President has also discussed the possibilities of a better cooperation with the Prime Minister and some members of the government, along with the visit of the »Mission for Growth« delegation led by the European Commission – an intense interest in the VZMD international investment programmes

WARSAW - a two-day international conference "Warsaw Capital Market Summit 2014" with influential participants from more than 40 countries with active presence of VZMD along with the business investment programs investo.si and investo.international

VIENNA – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the Annual Meeting and the Investor Conference of the World Federation of Investors (WFI)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT - Annual Meeting and Conference of the World Federation of Investors (WFI) in Vienna, Business delegation to Yaroslavl (Russia) & the BetterFinance Conference in Brussels

BRUSSELS – European Federation of Financial Services Users (EuroFinUse-Better Finance) yesterday presented an important report »Private Pensions: The Real Returns« with warnings and recommendations – apart from numerous representatives of the European Commission and Parliament, banks, stock-exchanges, funds and associations, the VZMD President Mr Kristjan Verbič also attended the Conference in Brussels

YAROSLAVL – Slovenian business delegation on a visit to an important Russian region – VZMD international business-investment programmes actively present in Yaroslavl, prior to the Annual Meeting and Conference of the World Federation of Investors in Vienna

VIDEO REPORT - 2nd High-level Symposium of THINK TANKS of China and Central and Eastern European countries

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT about the events at the Eurovision 2014 in Copenhagen – Slovenian representative Tinkara Kovač performed excellently and presented Slovenia also in the framework of the VZMD international investors & business programme investo.si and Slovenian business day in Denmark

SLOVENIAN DAY IN DENMARK – an exceptional presentation of Slovenia, its companies and trademarks accompanying the Eurovision 2014 Semi-finals – more than 500 guests from practically all participating countries were enthusiastic about the Slovenian culinary delicacies, Tinkara Kovač’s special live concert and the VIDEO REPORT about the team's journey to Copenhagen by camper vans - VZMD and investo.si received a great deal of praise and are preparing additional activities

VIDEO INVITATION for the Slovenian Business Day at Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen - Exclusive offer by Slovenian representative and VZMD’s international business-investors’ program investo.si − Invest to Slovenia

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the awards ceremony, organised by »IFIMES« International Institute on Bled, and from the gala event accompanying an exceptional international visit with promising business, political, and diplomatic contacts (Bled, February 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT about the week of the MOSCOW-VIENNA-CAPETOWN conferences involving the following: active participation of the international business-investment VZMD programmes, signing a memorandum with the Russian Federation of Investors, and protection of rights of the Slovene and European shareholders at the Viennese conference »The Financial Repression of Savers and Investors« (Moscow, Vienna, Cape Town, October 2013)

MOSCOW – At the Slovenian Embassy about a joint investors’ conference in the fall – an arrangement between the Russian Federation of Investors, VZMD and the Slovenian Embassy (Moscow, June 2013)

KAZAKHSTAN – a successful visit of the Slovenian business delegation in Kazakhstan – strong interest displayed in the international investors’ programs of the PanSlovenian Shareholders’ Association (VZMD): investo.si and investo.international (Astana, Almaty, June 2013)

WORLD BANK – President of VZMD and EuroFinUse Board Member speaker of the first panel at the international conference about audit reform and the importance of audit committees (Bucharest, June 2013)

VIENNA – EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from the European meeting of venture and start-up capital funds and the congress of business angels’ network EBAN 2013 – an active role of VZMD and its international investors’ programs investo.si and investo.international (Vienna, May 2013)

VIDEO REPORT – Variegated happening at the 19th financial fair KAPITAL 2013 at Cankar Hall, along two-day presentation of the international investors’ programs and the lecture of VZMD President (Ljubljana, April 2013)

VIDEO REPORT – exclusively from the European Parliament: the EuroFinUse international conference and the Election Assembly, the announcement of the new President and Board of directors of this influential European association, into which a representative of Slovenia is also re-elected (Brussels, March 2013)

BRUSSELS – Slovenia with VZMD once more elected to the top of the European Federation of Financial Services Users – intensive international activities today continue with a conference in the European Parliament (Brussels, March 2013)

TOKYO – conclusion of the visit of Slovene economic and political delegation with Slovenian-Japanese Business & Investment Forum and the reception at Japanese investors’ association – the active role of VZMD with its international investors’ programs investo.si and investo.international(Tokyo, March 2013)

INDIA – visit of Slovenian government and business delegation – on the basis of Memorandum between ICPE and VZMD international investors' programs investo.si and investo.international also present (New Delhi, February 2013)

Memorandum of cooperation signed between the International Center for Promotion of Enterprises (ICPE) and VZMD, with additional expansion of activities within the framework of international investment programs investo.si and investo.international (Ljubljana, January, 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT of “International Conference on Benefits and Challenges of Public Private Partnerships for improving Energy Efficiency” – key statements of prominent participants (Ljubljana, October, 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - Prominent Participants of Two Key International Conferences in Bled, India and Slovenia as Business Partners and CloudForum, Show Interest in the Investors’ Week in September in Slovenia (Bled, March 2012)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from Slovenian - Azerbaijani Business Forum in Baku (Baku, January, 2013)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT from EuropeanIssuers International Conference on »The future of European Equity Markets« at the Milan Stock Exchange – programs investo.si in investo.international also at the upcoming International Investors´ Conference in Wiesbaden (Milano, November 2012)

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO REPORT - Investors' week and the view of business potentials and investment opportunities during the visit of distinguished international guests at the Slovenian coast (Postojna, Koper, Piran, September, 2012)

VIDEO REPORT "Ljubljana declaration" – historic decision on unification of 50 organizations of shareholders and investors under one association and VZMD award »Polet« for »Model corporate governance in multinational corporation« to Gorenje company (Ljubljana, September 21, 2012)

Gala reception and dinner before International Conference on financial education and investors` exposition »investo Expo« (Ljubljana, September 19, 2012)

VIDEO REPORT - International Conference at the Brussels Stock Exchange Stimulated Investors' Representatives and Institutions to Participate at the Investors' Week 2012 in September in Slovenia(Brussels, March 2012)

"Slovenian Day at the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE)" Exceptional Interest of Funds, Investors, and the Financial Media for Slovenian Companies and Its Investment Environment - The Introduction of investo.si - Invest to Slovenia's Newly Founded Affiliate, investo.me - Invest to Montenegro (Warsaw, October 2011)

SLOVENIA PRAISED IN PARIS – acclaimed presentation of reputable Slovenian companies at the largest European investment convention, Actionaria, and the General Assembly of the World Federation of Investors Corporation (WFIC) – VZMD.TV EXCLUSIVE BROADCAST (Paris, December 2010)

www.vzmd.si – More on the VZMD – PanSlovenian Shareholders' Association

www.vzmd.tv and www.investo.tv – Over 300 videos from VZMD.TV and investo.tv

www.investo.si – More on the investo.si – Invest to Slovenia Program

www.invest-to.net – More on the network of 65 national organizations of shareholders and investors – investo.international