Agriculture is the most attractive sector and a chief chance for developing a cooperation with the region of Samara in the Russian Federation, where a distribution center should be opened in due time, according to Macedonian entrepreneurs.

The center is significantly beneficial for wine producers, it was concluded at Thursday's initiative meeting held in the Economic Chamber of Macedonia.

"Our government should be pressed to solve the visa issue and to enable conditions for duty-free exchange. Macedonia's economy with any of its branches cannot affect the Russian economy. Therefore, measures should be taken for facilitating cooperation, said businessmen Bogoja Blazeski, who has been initiating an opening of a distribution center for Macedonian products in the Samara region.

The region of Samara is economically one of the most developed areas in Russia. It has oil, natural gas reserves and hydro-energy. Mechanical engineering, chemical industry and colored metallurgy are one of the most developed sectors. Its economy is consisted of 400 large and medium enterprises.

The region in terms of import is depended on food and related products, which implies the focus to be put on agriculture.

The fact that Macedonia realised 50% of the total realised export in Russia last year, in the first quarter of 2011 and that it exported agricultural products and wine at the same value of total export of this group of products for entire 2010, confirm the need of urgent measures for opening distribution centre in the Russian Federation.

Trade exchange between Macedonia and Russia has been on a continuous rise, however the trade deficit from Macedonia side is continuously increasing. Import export coverage rate dropped by 4.8% in 2010, in 2009 was 4.6% and 5.3% in the first quarter of 2011.