Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman opened the Croatia-Estonia Virtual Economic Forum together with Estonian Foreign Minister Eva-Maria Liimets.
The forum aims to present Croatia and Estonia’s IT sectors and innovative e-solutions for public administration, local self-government and various fields of economy, and saw a number of business talks aimed at setting up cooperation.
In his keynote address, Grlić Radman underlined the importance of digitalization and digital transformation for the modernization of economy and facilitating the work of public administration. “The pandemic has sped up the digitalization of governments worldwide. I am glad that forums like these offer a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences on this important topic,” he said.
The minister also reflected on Croatia and Estonia’s bilateral relations. “The relations between our countries are imbued with understanding and friendship. We share views on a lot of European and international issues, and are linked by EU, NATO and the Three Seas Initiative membership”, Grlić Radman said. He highlighted the prospects for additional strengthening of economic cooperation, notably in electric power and chemical industry as well as in telecommunication.
Grlić Radman ended his address by pointing out that Croatia’s IT industry comprised more than 5,000 companies and was growing in terms of profit and export, adding that it made for more than 5% of Croatia’s overall export and that there was room to run various joint projects with Estonian companies. “It is our responsibility to bring our countries’ economies closer together. I am convinced that in the years ahead we will build strong economic ties,” the minister underscored.