PARIS PARIS, June 19 (Hina) - Opening a French-Croatian economic forum at the French Foreign Trade Centre in Paris on Thursday, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said the presence of Croatian political and business officials and
entrepreneurs proved the significant interest of Croatia's business community in advancing relations with France.
PARIS, June 19 (Hina) - Opening a French-Croatian economic forum at
the French Foreign Trade Centre in Paris on Thursday, Croatian
President Stjepan Mesic said the presence of Croatian political and
business officials and entrepreneurs proved the significant
interest of Croatia's business community in advancing relations
with France. #L#
President Mesic arrived in Paris yesterday at the helm of a big
delegation of state officials and business people. The purpose of
the visit is to improve trade relations and confirm Croatia's
status as a reliable political partner in South-East Europe.
The project of European integration is not only an economic
project, but a "major civilisation achievement, with different
peoples uniting voluntarily and transferring parts of national
sovereignty onto joint institutions, keeping at the same time
political sovereignty and their own cultural identity", Mesic
said.
Reiterating Croatia's wish to become part of such a community,
Mesic said Croatia was a "small open economy" in transition which
had managed to achieve high growth rates.
Croatia plans to join the EU in 2007, Mesic said and presented last
year's main economic indicators.
Speaking about bilateral trade, Mesic said foreign trade had seen
an increase, with overall bilateral trade totalling 714 million US
dollars. However, Croatia had a high deficit of almost 400 million
dollars as a result of a decrease in exports and a significant rise
in imports.
Mesic called on Croatian business subjects to increase direct
investments.
The forum was also addressed by Vice-Premier Slavko Linic, who
spoke about economic and political reforms in the past 3.5 years,
welcoming changes in the banking sector which he said had
legislation similar to the European legislation.
European Integration Minister Neven Mimica said it was quite
realistic that Croatia would complete reforms by the end of 2006 and
become a full EU member in 2007.
The forum was also addressed by Tourism Minister Pave Zupan
Ruskovic and the Minister of Crafts and Small and Medium-Sized
Businesses, Zeljko Pecek.
(hina) rml