DUBROVNIK, June 3 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa on Thursday opened in the southern port of Dubrovnik the third, three-day national conference on the role counties, towns, and municipalities have in stimulating small economy.
Matesa told the conference one of the starting points of the Croatian government's economy policy was the support of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship and crafts. The government has always started from the fact that small and big companies are equally valuable, the Premier said, adding the government's task was to stimulate as much as possible the development of small and medium-sized companies. "I am sure this conference will help promote the strategic economic concept, in which small entrepreneurship and crafts have an important role," Matesa said. Present at the opening of the conference, held under the auspices
DUBROVNIK, June 3 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa on
Thursday opened in the southern port of Dubrovnik the third, three-
day national conference on the role counties, towns, and
municipalities have in stimulating small economy.
Matesa told the conference one of the starting points
of the Croatian government's economy policy was the support of
small and medium-sized entrepreneurship and crafts.
The government has always started from the fact that small and big
companies are equally valuable, the Premier said, adding the
government's task was to stimulate as much as possible the
development of small and medium-sized companies.
"I am sure this conference will help promote the strategic economic
concept, in which small entrepreneurship and crafts have an
important role," Matesa said.
Present at the opening of the conference, held under the auspices of
the government, were also the Croatian ministers for European
integration, reconstruction and development, economy, science,
transport, and representatives of the legislative and executive
authority, the European community, and others.
Economy Minister Nenad Porges reminded his ministry had begun
stimulating and conceptualising the development of small and
medium-sized entrepreneurship a few years ago, and said it would
continue supporting good and new ideas.
Matesa and Porges then presented awards to entrepreneurs who
achieved the best results in a competition called "Entrepreneur of
Croatia for Entrepreneur of Europe 1999".
Speaking about the role of local government and self-government in
European integration processes, Minister for European Integration
Ljerka Mintas-Hodak said membership in the European Union was
Croatia's long-term political and economic interest.
"To take full part in European integration, Croatia must closely
follow what is happening in European economy, in order to use as
much positive, useful and strategically important experience as
possible," Mintas-Hodak said.
The conference has been organised by the Croatian Ministry of
Economy and a network of small and medium-sized cooperative
societies, with assistance from Dubrovnik-Neretva County and the
Town of Dubrovnik, and support from the European Union, the United
States, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, and Slovenia.
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