SOVIET MINISTER SAYS TRADE BOOST UP TO FRENCH

  Soviet first deputy prime minister
  Vsevolod Murakhovsky said at the end of a brief visit here his
  country wanted to boost joint business with France, but that a
  reduction of France's trade deficit with the Soviet Union
  depended on the French.
      Murakhovsky, who is also chairman of the State
  Agro-Industrial Committee (GOSAGROPROM), told a news conference
  he had discussed a variety of possible deals with French
  companies Rhone-Poulenc, Pechiney and Imec.
      Declining to put figures on possible contracts he said he
  had discussed plant protection and the processing of highly
  sulphuric gas with Rhone-Poulenc, packaging technology for
  agricultural products with Pechiney, and fruit and vegetable
  juice processing with Imec.
      An official for Pechiney said an agreement of intent on
  packaging could be signed soon, but could not give any other
  details. The other two companies were not immediately available
  for comment.
      Asked whether he foresaw a reduction this year of France's
  trade shortfall, at 7.6 billion francs in the first 11 months
  of 1986 against 5.1 billion for the whole of 1985, Murakhovsky
  told Reuters: "It all depends on France."
      At a meeting in Paris last January French and Soviet
  foreign trade ministers said they were committed to increased
  efforts to reduce the deficit. Estimates at the time showed a
  French 190 mln franc surplus for December 1986.
      Murakhovsky said the Soviet Union was prepared to talk with
  anybody with "interesting" proposals offering latest technology
  and assuring "a mutual advantage."
      He said the Soviet Union had many tasks ahead of it and
  would deal rapidly with proposals it considered interesting.
      He encouraged companies to take advantage of new laws
  guaranteeing "the interests of foreign partners" in joint
  ventures.
      But he said no agreements had yet been finalised under the
  new joint venture laws.
      He said concrete deals had not yet been finalised as a
  result of a one billion dollar accord signed in Moscow last
  month with French businessman Jean-Baptiste Doumeng.
      He said Doumeng's Interagra company was preparing proposals
  for further examination by the Soviet Union. Doumeng last month
  said the agreement was to exchange one billion dollars worth of
  goods.
      Murakhovsky said the agreement was one of intent, and
  designed primarily to renew and increase the Soviet Union's
  food production capacity.
  

