ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - Launching a fast economic growth, encouraging exports and production, opening new jobs and ensuring social justness are the key challenges Croatia has to respond to as part of efforts to draw closer to the
European Union, President Stjepan Mesic said at Entrepreneurs Day on Monday.
ZAGREB, May 3 (Hina) - Launching a fast economic growth, encouraging
exports and production, opening new jobs and ensuring social justness
are the key challenges Croatia has to respond to as part of efforts to
draw closer to the European Union, President Stjepan Mesic said at
Entrepreneurs Day on Monday.#L#
This year's event, which was organised by the Croatian Employers
Association, focuses on the development of Croatian economy according
to EU standards. Apart from Mesic, speeches were delivered by Prime
Minister Ivo Sanader, Deputy PM Andrija Hebrang and several relevant
ministers.
Mesic said that after receiving a positive opinion on its EU
membership application, Croatia now needed to define a convergence
strategy, a strategy of drawing closer to the Union.
The new development model which will bring Croatia closer to the EU
has to rely on export and production, the president said, underlining
the significance of increasing competitiveness.
Mesic stressed that annual economic growth rates must exceed five
percent and that export growth rates must be even higher. He expects
the government and business people to move concrete measures to
encourage exports and revive the industry, notably high technology
production.
PM Sanader reiterated that Croatia expected the European Council to
grant it official EU candidate status and decide about the start of
negotiations in June. "Croatia is ready for that. We are also willing
to make sacrifices," he said, underlining the importance of a national
consensus on these issues.
Sanader also stressed the importance of the tripartite relations in
the Economic and Social Council as well as the need for the academic
community to take part in them.
Supporting entrepreneurs, the PM said that politics could open doors
but that the rest was up to business people.
Deputy PM Hebrang stressed the importance of the entrepreneurial
climate for activating domestic and attracting foreign capital. He
said the government's projects were aimed at helping large companies
and encouraging small and medium-size enterprise.
Hebrang highlighted the importance of expansion in the economy and
announced privatisation would be expedited.
(Hina) ha