According to a Finance Ministry statement, Lemierre expressed a positive opinion of Croatia's overall development and the steps it was taking with a view to joining the European Union. He praised Croatia's cooperation with the EBRD, noting that the EBRD had funded a total of 79 projects in the country's private and public sectors to date, with a total value of EUR 1.74 billion.
Lemierre and Suker agreed that the newly-adopted Cooperation Strategy between the EBRD and Croatia covered all the necessary areas of cooperation, including promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises, investment in the energy sector and improving energy efficiency, environmental protection, and development of local government units.
Also discussed was the possibility of the EBRD and other international financial institutions providing the remaining necessary funds for the construction of a new passenger terminal at Zagreb Airport.
The EBRD showed great interest in joining that project, the statement said.
Suker proposed that the EBRD hold its annual meeting in 2010 in Croatia, which Lemierre tentatively accepted, saying that specific steps would be discussed with the EBRD Board of Executive Directors, after which Croatia would receive an official response.
Lemierre said that the holding of the EBRD annual meeting in 2010 in Croatia, as a new EU member by then, would be a clear confirmation of Croatia's status as regional leader and a message to other countries in the region that they should continue on the path of political and economic integration with the European Union.