"The Czech Republic is one of the countries that fully support Croatia on its path to the European Union and NATO, and Prime Minister Paroubek has been among those most active in providing that support," Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader told reporters after meeting his Czech counterpart in Zagreb on Monday.
The talks between the two prime ministers focused on economic cooperation between Croatia and the Czech Republic.
Paroubek said that he would inform Czech entrepreneurs about business opportunities in Croatia's tourism sector, environmental protection and industrial production.
Trade between the two countries stood at USD 500 million in 2005, with Croatian exports amounting to a mere USD 76.7 million as opposed to USD 434.8 million of imports.
Sanader, who is due to visit the Czech Republic at the end of the year, said that Croatia would organise a business forum in Prague to present the advantages of its northern Adriatic port of Rijeka.
Noting that small and medium-sized Czech companies had invested half a billion US dollars in Romania and Bulgaria, Paroubek said that in his opinion investment conditions in Croatia were better.
Speaking of Czech support for Croatia, Paroubek cited the results of a survey conducted by Eurobarometer, the European Commission's public opinion service, according to which 76 per cent of Czechs support Croatia's EU membership bid.
The Czech prime minister presented convincing arguments in support of EU membership, saying that his country had seen a strong economic growth rate of six per cent in 2005.
Thanks to its membership in the EU and NATO, the Czech Republic has received EUR 9 million in direct foreign investment and expects a Gross Domestic Product growth rate of eight per cent in 2006, Paroubek said.
He added he hoped that Croatia's economy would also experience strong growth rates once the country joined the EU and NATO.
Paroubek said his country was interested in Croatia being invited to join NATO, and added that the Western Balkans region was one of the Czech Republic's foreign policy priorities.