ZAGREB, May 23 (Hina) - Croatian and Austrian presidents Stjepan Mesic and Thomas Klestil on Thursday visited the Croatian Chamber of Commerce in Zagreb, where an Austrian-Croatian Economic Forum was organised with the aim of
deepening economic cooperation between the two countries.
ZAGREB, May 23 (Hina) - Croatian and Austrian presidents Stjepan
Mesic and Thomas Klestil on Thursday visited the Croatian Chamber
of Commerce in Zagreb, where an Austrian-Croatian Economic Forum
was organised with the aim of deepening economic cooperation
between the two countries. #L#
Chamber president Nadan Vidosevic said in his opening speech that
the visit of the two presidents was "the crown of excellent economic
relations" between the two countries which have immeasurable space
for cooperation.
He stressed that Austria was the largest foreign investor in
Croatia, and had 800 companies registered in Croatia.
In his speech Mesic said the cooperation between Croatia and
Austria had reached an envious level and showed a positive trend.
According to him, Croatia was entering a group of more developed
transitional economies. He recalled that Austria's economy and its
investors had been present in Croatia all these years, and most
investments (70 percent) related to the financial and banking
sector, but interest for other sectors was growing.
Klestil said Austria was very interested in strengthening economic
cooperation with Croatia. He said he was impressed with the speed at
which Croatia had managed to make the transition into a modern
competitive economy. He stressed Austria had recognised Croatia as
an important trade partner immediately after it had been
internationally recognised.
He called Croatian companies to penetrate the Austrian market more
strongly so that a certain imbalance in trade would be decreased.
The vice-president of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Adolf
Moser, said that Austrian business people had invested more than
two billion euros into Croatia, and that there was great interest in
contributing to Croatia's stability.
He said political stability was more easily sustained alongside
economic prosperity.
At the end of the two president's visit to the Croatian Chamber of
Commerce, Klestil handed Mesic a memorandum of interest in five
investments of Austrian companies in Croatia.
Unofficial sources have said that the Austrians were interested in
the security, metallurgy, telecommunications, energy and
manufacturing sectors.
(hina) lml sb