"We no longer need humanitarian aid but investments and jobs," Mesic said addressing business people.
Those gathered said Croatian-German trade was good and mainly focused on Bavaria and Baden Wuerttemberg, concluding that economic relations should be intensified with North Rhein Westphalia, Germany's most populated and economically strongest state.
Ruettgers said the North Rhein Westphalia government supported Croatia on its path to the European Union, voicing confidence that Croatia would become a member when the terms for that were met.
Mesic thanked Germany for being among the first to have helped Croatia. He also met the speaker of the North Rhein Westphalia parliament, Regina van Dinther, visited the Croatian General Consulate in Dusseldorf, and met Croatian emigrants.
Mesic is on a three-day visit to North Rhein Westphalia, which ends on Thursday with a visit to Aachen.