FERICANCI, Jan 22 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Monday visited eastern Slavonia where he attended the opening of a DM1 million water-supply system in the municipality of Fericanci, and later the blessing of vineyards in the Ilok
area. Mesic said 2001 would be "crucial for activating Croatian production and Croatian export." Despite a successful summer tourist season, there was no success in production, which made Croatia sell goods imported from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Netherlands, he added. The president pointed to the need of reviving production and encouraging employment, reminding the rampant unemployment rate had been halted. The solution is not to send about 60,000 people into retirement but work towards providing active employment, he said. Speaking about reconstruction, Mesic said it was not enough to build houses, but ensure jobs to keep young people from leaving their home-towns l
FERICANCI, Jan 22 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Monday visited
eastern Slavonia where he attended the opening of a DM1 million
water-supply system in the municipality of Fericanci, and later the
blessing of vineyards in the Ilok area.
Mesic said 2001 would be "crucial for activating Croatian
production and Croatian export." Despite a successful summer
tourist season, there was no success in production, which made
Croatia sell goods imported from the Czech Republic, Slovakia,
Hungary, Austria, and the Netherlands, he added.
The president pointed to the need of reviving production and
encouraging employment, reminding the rampant unemployment rate
had been halted. The solution is not to send about 60,000 people
into retirement but work towards providing active employment, he
said.
Speaking about reconstruction, Mesic said it was not enough to
build houses, but ensure jobs to keep young people from leaving
their home-towns looking for employment.
He asserted Croatia needed capital, "which will arrive because the
world now acknowledges Croatia as a country worthy of investment."
Speaking about Croatian-Serbian relations, the president said:
"Democratic changes have taken place in Serbia, but Croatia waits
to see the effect of the changes on which future cooperation will
depend."
He added democratic changes in Serbia should be encouraged, and
that it was up to Serbia to cooperate with UN's war crimes tribunal
in The Hague and extradite those who committed crimes in Croatia,
Bosnia, and Kosovo.
The 23km-long water-supply system in Fericanci was financed by
Croatian Waters, Osijek-Baranja County, and the municipality,
which has a population of 2,500.
(hina) ha