OPATIJA: CONFERENCE ON GOVERNMENT'S RELATIONS WITH CIVIL SECTOR

OPATIJA, April 27 (Hina) - A Croatian deputy prime minister opened in the northern Adriatic town of Opatija on Friday a two-day regional conference on the government's relations with the civil sector. The conference has been organised by the International Centre for Non-profit Law and the United States Agency for International Development. In attendance are some 100 experts from Croatia and 30 European countries. Non-governmental organisations are very important for government work as they provide a reliable picture of what the civil society and citizens want, Deputy PM Zeljka Antunovic said opening the conference. "The Croatian government has... set up a special programme intended to strengthen civil society and help it establish a quality cooperation with the government. In this respect it is important... to adopt liberal legislation and stimulating tax laws which will motivate the economy and the public sector to invest in the development of civil society," she said. According to Antunovic, state budgets should finance NGOs, especially those of major general importance. She believes, however, it is equally important for the civil sector to have independent financing so as to make it independent of the government. She concluded the government and the NGOs in Croatia were often in conflict but that misunderstandings were being overcome through mutual acknowledgement and dialogue. In this respect Croatia wants to become an example to others, she said. The Opatija conference will, among else, address ways in which the civil sector can help in the shaping of state policy. (hina) ha