"I believe this is the first step in modernising and rejuvenating our diplomacy, especially economic diplomacy. It must be geared towards achieving the overarching economic goals of the state, greater employment through increasing exports, and quality greenfield investments," the president said in her address.
The president noted that Croatia had good economic relations only with its traditional trading partners, including its neighbours and EU countries closer to it, unlike some other former transition countries that can boast of stronger markets and quality greenfield investments. That is primarily thanks to an effective comprehensive national economic strategy and partly the result of good economic diplomacy, she added.
Noting that the Croatian economy was not competitive, Grabar-Kitarovic said that Croatian ambassadors should focus more on public and economic diplomacy.
"The policy of the MVEP in recent years has shown that things are going in the right direction. Economic diplomacy has been included among the foreign policy priorities, and the doors of the ministry and our diplomatic and consular missions are being opened to other state and public institutions that can contribute to achieving the set goal," the president said.
She welcomed the agreement between the MVEP and the HGK, saying: "Our first task is to catch up with competition, after which we need to position ourselves among the best. I believe the agreement between the ministry and the HGK is the first step in that direction."
HGK president Luka Burilovic said that economic development was unthinkable without internationalising the economy, business and economy diplomacy. He said that this was important in order to boost exports and foreign direct investment, which in turn would secure a foreign currency inflow and foreign debt servicing and ensure a stable macroeconomic situation and growth.
Burilovic said that only 15% of Croatian companies exported their products and services, adding that this showed best how much Croatian businesses needed assistance in exports.
"We need as many international economic representatives as possible to respond to the actual needs of our enterprises," Burilovic said. He also stressed the need for stronger financial support in internationalising business, which as many as 84 percent of Croatian companies have identified as an investment problem in an HGK survey.
Burilovic cited Austria as a successful model, saying that its investments abroad had increased by as much as 332 percent. He said that the agreement initialled today was based on that model and that it marked a new era in Croatian economic diplomacy.
The conference brought together leading Croatian companies, economic experts, academics and government officials to discuss ways of improving exports, the experience of foreign chambers of commerce, and the new roles and significance of the HGK and the MVEP in economic diplomacy.
The event was addressed by Goran Ogurlic, editor in chief of the Jutarnji List daily, which co-organised the conference with the HGK; Marija Pejcinovic Buric, state secretary at the MVEP; and Michael Otter, deputy director-general of the Advantage Austria department at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce.