He was speaking at a plenary session on the final day of the three-day Crans Montana Forum, which pooled about 400 participants. The session addressed Croatia in the process of European enlargement, the strengthening of democracy and economic development.
Busek said Croatia's achievements in terms of development were positive, given that foreign direct investment in Croatia in the 1993-2004 period had reached US$11 billion.
He added that in terms of development, Croatia was just behind Hungary and the Czech Republic.
According to Busek, the enlargement of the European Union was a win-win story because all sides benefitted.
He said Croatia's accession to the Union was viewed specifically because Croatia had a special responsibility to the region.
Croatia must look towards the Union but must not forget the region, he said, adding that Slovenia had been allowed to do so but that Croatia was a different story.
Busek said regional cooperation was key, both in terms of politics and the economy, adding that the business community viewed the region as a whole. He highlighted physical connection, the need to create road corridors and air connections, and the importance of the Danube.
Croatian Employers Association president Emil Tedeschi said Croatian companies were among the biggest investors in Serbia and Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"Croatia has an outstanding role in the region, relying on its own stability and development, and when we talk about the domestic market we mean the whole region," said Tedeschi.
He said the challenges awaiting Croatia were a dynamic economic growth, an effective tax system, the rule of law, and a flexible labour market.
Croatia's chief negotiator with the EU, Vladimir Drobnjak, said the Union represented a lot more than just the economy.
"The EU offers not only an economic and democratic framework, but also a system of collective and personal security," said Drobnjak.
He said Croatia had made outstanding progress in a relatively short period of time, and added that Croatia's EU accession process was specific.
"We carry the legacy of the war which is reflected in the criteria we have to meet. Apart from the Copenhagen Criteria, we have additional criteria which stem from the Stabilisation and Association Agreement," Drobnjak said, adding they referred to cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal, good relations with neighbours, regional cooperation, and protection of minorities.
He said there remained only one outstanding issue in the cooperation with the UN tribunal, and added that one of the goals of his negotiating team was Croatia's participation in elections for the European Parliament in 2009.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader voiced confidence Croatia would start EU entry negotiations by June this year and participate in the 2009 European parliamentary elections.