New economic diplomacy concept presented

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić and her deputy Joško Klisović presented a new concept of economic diplomacy

First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusić and her deputy Joško Klisović presented a new concept of economic diplomacy. Pusić underlined economic recovery was a national priority, but warned that the new economic diplomacy system was not a magic wand that would solve all the problems of Croatia's economy. “Economic diplomacy is an extension of quality economic policy – good investment climate and competitiveness of our exporters, and I believe we do have something to show to the world,” the minister said.

Deputy Minister Klisović presented the new concept in detail, pointing out that unlike previous attempts at conceiving economic diplomacy, this time it was a comprehensive system based on the analysis of the situation and competences in the ministry, detail comparative analysis of models and strategies of the world’s best economic diplomacies and, most importantly, direct and concrete demands by Croatian exporters and business associations.

“This concept for the first time encompasses all the relevant elements for a modern, functional and sustainable economic diplomacy system – from an adapted institutional organization to determining priority markets, new categories of diplomatic communication and information management, adjusting the locations of our diplomatic-consular network, and new institutional culture focused on the results that benefit Croatian companies and citizens,” Klisović said.

The main elements of economic diplomacy are:

1. Synergy between foreign and trade policy

Annexing the State Office for Trade Policy to the ministry will help achieve synergy between the competences necessary for offering quality support to export – expert trade know-how on the one side and efficient use of infrastructure abroad as well as familiarity with the conditions abroad and working with the exporters on the other, all with the aim of a successful foreign policy activity.

2. Internalization Commission

The ministry, following an express request by Croatian exporters, initiated the founding of a Governmental Commission for the Internalization of Croatian Economy, whose work will entail equal participation of representatives of Croatian business associations. This is one of the ways in which economic diplomacy will be closely coordinated with our partners at home, such as the Croatian Chamber of Economy, Croatian Information Technology Association, Croatian Employers’ Association and Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts. The commission will define the guidelines of Croatia’s export policy, integrate export policies with foreign investment policies, coordinate appearances by all the relevant partners in the promotion of Croatian economy abroad, and clearly outline the services of embassies for exporters. Working with Croatian exporters, a list has been made of the services offered by the diplomatic-consular network abroad as well as the ministry on its website.

• On our website exporters can request from our embassies a service from the list. We will follow their request through an internal customer relationship management system and will be obliged to respond to it in a timely manner.

• Collecting information about export opportunities gathered by our embassies through business association and competitiveness clusters, via email and within a relevant timeframe.

• Exporters can report to the ministry via email any trade barriers they encounter, which we will then dismantle systematically, one by one.

• We publish detailed economic information about foreign markets and Croatia’s economic relations with the rest of the world. Our website will feature previously internal information which could be of use to exporters, and which is not of sensitive of classified nature.

4. Priority markets

Given the limited resources available, we cannot cover 193 countries of the world in an equally quality manner. That is why together with our exporters we have defined those countries which we will put a greater emphasis on.

5. Human resources

We will pay great attention to the strengthening of human resources through the transfer of skills of the world’s best diplomacies, internships at Croatia’s leading export companies, implementing economically relevant criteria for appraisal of diplomats, retaining local contract employees on priority markets given their presence, better familiarity with the market and the language, and a wider network of contacts.

6. Adjusting the locations of diplomatic-consular offices

In accordance with the needs and interests of Croatian economy, we are starting to adjust the locations of our diplomatic-consular offices, including our honorary consuls.

7. Institutional user-directed culture

Working towards a tangible and direct wellbeing of taxpayers, we will stimulate engagement, dedication and proactiveness. We will adjust the criteria of diplomatic communication to the needs of the economy, while the ministry will offer full and continuous support to the diplomatic-consular network and honorary consuls along with comprehensive instructions. We will follow each individual request through the enhanced communication system we have developed based on customer relationship management, with clearly defined deadlines. 

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