Boštjan Udovič of the Ljubljana Social Sciences Faculty noted that there was a wide gap between the companies' expectations and what diplomacy can actually provide. There is an issue of whether "diplomacy must create favourable conditions for companies or must the companies be the ones to feel the wish to go abroad and the diplomacy is there to help them."

"Diplomacy is trying to get closer to companies, but it cannot improve itself unless companies express the demand for its services," Udovič added.

Erjavec told the event that the Foreign Ministry encouraged economic ties by organising visits of business delegations abroad, by establishing inter-governmental commissions, through diplomatic and consular representations and ambassadors.

The foreign minister moreover pointed out that the Strategic Council for Foreign Economic Cooperation adopted Slovenia's trade strategy today, defining Azerbaijan, India, Kazakhstan, China, Russia and Turkey as strategic markets for 2013.

Tone Stanovnik, the boss of Špica International, a supplier of data collection systems, underlined the importance of economic diplomacy and expressed the wish that Slovenia establish special task offices at its embassies.

He also labelled as important state visits, especially in government-driven economies. Moreover, synergies between big and small companies are of significant importance when entering a new market, as well as legislation that prevents successful companies to move their assets abroad, Stanovnik said.

Secretary General of Economic Diplomacy Directorate Stanislav Raščan touched on the plans to modify Slovenia's diplomatic network, labelling as important the planned openings of new representations in fast-growing markets, including in Kazakhstan, Asia, the Arabic Peninsula and Central Africa.