Addressing the guests, Mesic said that now that Croatia's integration with the European Union was in the offing, issues important for economic development and employment should be given priority.
"In order to solve those issues, the government's economic policy should be aimed at a rise in the GDP rate which most experts believe should not be below five percent. While trying to accomplish this goal, we should not forget the protection of our own strategic values, which belong to all Croatian citizens," the Croatian head of state said.
He went on to say that economic growth and the enhancement of the national economy's competitiveness should not be achieved at the cost of impoverishing Croatian workers and reducing their labour and social security.
"The Croatian worker must not feel hurt and humiliated in his country or feel empoverished and robbed, deprived of his constitutional and human right to work and social security," Mesic said calling on trade unions to cooperate with the sate in the protection and promotion of workers' rights.
The President also said that in the third year of its term in office, the Ivo Sanader cabinet would be responsible for the creation of prerequisites for economic development, for the achievement of good results in membership talks with the EU and for the continuation of cooperation with neighbouring countries.
Those are not easy tasks, but I believe that the government, supported by the parliament, can and must carry them out, Mesic said.
He wished his guests success in the performance of their duties in the coming period, and offered his best wishes to all Croatian citizens for the Christmas and New Year holidays.