Alexei pondered for a moment, then hesitated, "Your Highness, I must admit, your proposal is very sound."
"However, there are already quite a few people engaged in such trade between France and Russia, and I don't think we can be more competitive than them."
Joseph smiled and nodded; Alexei was indeed a smart man, not the frivolous young man he appeared to be. It seemed that partnering with him would not be disappointing.
"First of all, the current volume of Franco-Russian trade is far from sufficient."
"If I remember correctly, there are over three hundred merchant ships sailing from England to Riga every year. Yet only a tenth of that number sail from Lyon to the Black Sea."
"I tell you, France is going to start industrial reforms, and the demand for Russian goods will increase substantially, especially for flax. In that case, the existing merchant ships will be far from adequate."
