Speaking to the STA over phone after meeting his counterpart Petar Ivanović, Židan said topics discussed went beyond agriculture, food and forestry.

The pair agreed on several operative steps to enhance bilateral business links, including that the Montenegrin minister will pay a return visit to Slovenia with a business delegation in March.

The countries also agreed to bid jointly for an international project that would enable investment in beekeeping in both countries.

They would also set up a joint working group for economy and agriculture and sign a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in agriculture in January.

Židan was accompanied by a delegation representing 16 Slovenian businesses from food, forestry, wood processing, energy industries and the infrastructure sector.

They took part in a bilateral business meeting, which Židan estimated featured more than 120 business officials. They discussed the potential to increase trade and investment and agreed to form offerings for a joint foray into third markers.

Slovenian companies have so far invested some EUR 166m in Montenegro.