Gordan Milinic, the ambassador of Bosnia and Herzegovina, told RIA Novosti that Terzic will have talks with Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, and Gazprom head Alexei Miller. Meetings are also scheduled in the Energy Ministry and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Documents to be signed during the visit include an agreement on trade and economic cooperation, an agreement to form an inter-governmental commission on trade and economic cooperation, an agreement on automobile transport, and an agreement to fight organised crime and international terrorism.
The sides intend to pay special attention to ways of repaying the so-called clearing debt of the former USSR to the former Yugoslavia. After a lengthy procedure of agreement, the debt owned by Russia to Bosnia and Herzegovina was reconciled at $125 million. Besides, the negotiations will also be concerned with unblocking the situation surrounding the Bosnian debt for Russian natural gas supplied in the 1991-1995 period.
As estimated by both sides, Moscow and Sarajevo have no mutual problems in the field of foreign policy. As regards economic links, they are clearly inadequate. While prior to 1992 trade between Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina was about $1 billion, now it is down to $55 million.
Alexander Yakovenko, an official Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman, noted in a RIA Novosti interview that Russia attaches much importance to the strengthening of bilateral dialogue with Bosnia and Herzegovina, development of contacts between the two countries and expansion of cooperation, above all in economics. His other explanation was that "Russia intends to continue to play an active role in the Balkan region".
