This is the most important business delegation to visit Croatia in the last 15 years, Croatian Deputy Prime
Minister Damir Polancec said, adding that the annual turnover of the companies whose representatives met today with Croatia's prime minister and government members, exceeded 400 billion euros. This clearly demonstrates their business power, Polancec added.
The companies whose representatives sit on the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations are Daimler Chrysler, Astaldi, E.ON Ruhrgas, Gaz de France, Bouygues Group, Siemens, Metro, Bank Austria Creditanstalt, Deutsche Bank and others.
Speaking of reforms in Croatia's judicial and pension insurance systems, PM Ivo Sanader said the reforms were expected to facilitate investments and the inflow of foreign capital into Croatia.
Deputy Prime Minister Polancec said the visit of the German delegation was taking place shortly after the EU Council of Ministers decided to launch membership talks with Croatia. He said that this bore witness to the trust and support Croatia enjoyed in German and European business circles.
Although no agreements or letters of intent on cooperation were signed at today's meeting, the event is expected to provide an opportunity to expand business cooperation with European countries, Polancec said.
The chairman of the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations and executive advisor of the Daimler Chrysler Management Board, Klaus Mangold, said European business people supported Croatia's speedy admission to the EU and would do all to help Croatia on its road to full membership in the EU.
We see Croatia as the business centre of this part of Europe, because its labour force is well educated, it has a developed infrastructure and its economy is largely integrated into Europe's, Mangold said, adding that this set of good indicators would definitely facilitate integration with the European Union.
After the meeting with PM Sanader and government members, members of the Committee will meet representatives of leading Croatian companies, after which they will attend a working dinner at the Croatian Chamber of the Economy.
On Saturday, the European business people will take part in the summit of central European heads of state.