Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Josip Leko and Deputy Speaker Dragica Zgrebec on Wednesday attended a meeting of a United States business delegation and representatives of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) and the Croatian Employers Association which discussed possibilities of developing economic cooperation.
Leko said bilateral relations with the US were strategic for Croatia, and was hopeful that the meeting would result in greater US investment in Croatia and greater business opportunities for Croatian companies on the US market. Leko said Croatia was focused on the development of agriculture, the food industry, tourism, logistics and transport, but stressed that energy was an area in which Croatia ''has something to say, not just for itself but for the whole region as well as in the broader European context''.
Zgrebec recalled that preparations were under way for oil and gas exploration in the Croatian Adriatic and inland, saying she was glad that big US companies were interested. She said that Croatia, thanks to its strategic geopolitical position, had great prospects for developing alternative energy supply routes for the whole Europe.
HGK vice president Domagoj Juričić said small and medium-sized enterprises prevailed in Croatia's private sector and that this offered business cooperation possibilities in all economic areas. He said that aside from energy, logistics and transport had great development potential given that Croatia had become a new point of entry to the EU for third countries. He said Croatia's position enabled access to the "heart of Europe" to all kinds of transport. Juričić informed the US business delegation, which was taking part in the 15th Transatlantic Forum, that the HGK would soon open its office in Washington. (Hina)