Suker said that Croatia's cooperation with the EIB was very good and that Croatia was on the road to full membership in the European Union and considered the EIB one of the most important financial partners in the implementation of major projects, notably ones involving infrastructure.
Suker and Kollatz Ahnen discussed possible future projects in the transport sector, from highways to railways and ports, continuation of the construction of the gas supply network to include Croatia's south, and the granting of loans for small and medium enterprises and tourism through the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
Since the start of operation in Croatia in 2001, the EIB has granted almost one billion euros worth of long-term, favourable loans for 17 public and private projects, the Finance Ministry said.
The EIB also granted commercial banks four global loans worth EUR 66 million intended for small and medium enterprises.
Thirteen projects amounting to EUR 905 million were approved for the state or state-owned companies. Those public projects mostly involve the financing of major infrastructure projects, notably highways, roads and railways, the reconstruction of municipal infrastructure in the formerly war-affected areas, and the construction of a national gas supply system.