"In cooperation with the Croatian Exporters' Association and other partners, we have designed a programme for encouraging Croatia's international competitiveness and for the internationalisation of the Croatian economy, which will in 2009 and 2010 support Croatian companies in their efforts to enter the global market and promote themselves," the prime minister said at the association's fourth convention in Zagreb on Monday.
Commenting on the ongoing global economic and financial crisis, Sanader said that exporters were among the first ones to face the consequences of the crisis.
This situation has produced negative effects on Croatia's exporters, too, and on the entire Croatian economy, he admitted.
In this context Sanader recalled measures which his government has taken to fend off the crisis and create prerequisites for a new development cycle.
The government has done and will do everything necessary to strengthen the economy, fight against the recession and save jobs.
He recalled that his cabinet had recently adopted an HRK 520 million national employment plan for job creation in 2009 and 2010.
The Croatian premier admitted that the global crisis was hitting Croatia, too.
In the first quarter of 2009, Croatia's exports fell by 11.9 percent, and industrial output by 10.9 percent.
Sanader said that the struggle for each guest during the summer tourist season would follow.
He said that neither the old failed Socialist recipes with more taxes and the devaluation of the national currency nor proposals by neo-liberal groups could help anybody to come out of the crisis.
Instead of these extremes, the Croatian government has in the past six years pursued a model of social market economy with the government playing an active role in the regulation and creation of conditions for the development of private entrepreneurship, economic growth and for the prosperity of the entire society in the spirit of solidarity and responsibility of all social partners.
Sanader recalled that after Croatia recently joined NATO, its next goal would be full European Union membership.
"Croatia will continue with reforms, complete accession negotiations and join the EU and will not pay for the membership with its territory," Sanader said, alluding to a stalemate in Croatia's EU membership talks caused by Slovenia's blockade of the talks due to a border dispute between those two countries.