Croatia-Finland Business Forum

Introductory Remarks by H. E. Gordan Jandroković,
Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration
of the Republic of Croatia at the
Croatia-Finland Business Forum

Helsinki, 5th October 2010

Thank you Mr Kosonen and Mrs Antillainen,
Dear representatives of the business communities of Croatia and Finland,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure for me to address you at the opening of the Croatia-Finland Business Forum.
I am particularly glad that as a part of my first official visit to Finland we managed to arrange this gathering of business representatives of our two countries.
And I would like to thank all those who supported and contributed to the realization of this initiative.
We are here today to explore manifold business opportunities so as to enhance the economic cooperation between our two countries for the mutual benefit of our peoples.
The Croatian business representatives will acquaint you with various possibilities of doing business in and with Croatia.
I would, on my part, like to briefly draw a picture of Croatia of today.
Croatia has come a long way since the early 1990s when we held our first democratic elections, gained independence and suffered aggression and war. We have succeeded not only in protecting our sovereignty and territorial integrity, but have also successfully transformed our society.
In April 2009 Croatia became a member of NATO and thus achieved one of its strategic foreign policy goals.
With regard to our membership in the European Union, Croatia is, as I like to put it, running its final lap in the accession process, determined to cross the finishing line in 2012.
This means that our state and society have undergone far-reaching reforms, and are now fully enjoying the benefits of democracy, free market economy and the rule of law.
According to the recently published Newsweek’s rank list – and I would like to congratulate Finland for being ranked first – Croatia occupies the 28th place of the world’s best countries to live in, leaving eight Member States of European Union behind.
Croatia’s GDP per capita of 10.300 EUR/14.000 USD, which amounts to 64% of the EU’s average, places it again before seven EU Member States.
A proof to Croatia's macroeconomic stability is also a stable exchange rate of its currency, and a low inflation rate of 2.4% in 2009, which in 2010 amounted to 0.8%.
Another proof is a comparatively low unemployment rate of 9.7% in 2009 according to the International Labor Organization.
Over the years Croatia has established itself as one of the most attractive tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, with 2010 being the most successful season so far.
In the first eight months, we welcomed 8.2 million tourists who realized a total of 51.7 million overnight stays, which is an increase of three and six percent respectively.
What makes our country so enticing to an ever growing number of tourists are certainly its vast cultural and natural beauties, seven of them listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites.
And I am sure that you have already heard or even visited some of them, such as the old town of Dubrovnik, the Diocletian Palace in Split, or the Plitvice Lakes.
In this context, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that precisely tourism is one of the most prospective branches of the Croatian economy.
Projects in tourism are a part of the new investment cycle announced by the Croatian Government only two weeks ago.
Amounting to a total of 13.8 billion euro, the cycle covers altogether 30 projects not only in tourism but also in areas such as energy, transport, water management and the strengthening of small and medium-sized enterprises through greenfield investments.
I would therefore like to invite Finnish companies to explore opportunities of this new investment cycle.     
But the potentials of doing business in Croatia go far beyond that.
Besides being attractive to foreign investors for its favourable legal framework harmonized with that of the EU and a well educated work force, Croatia is the central point for doing business in South East Europe.
Situated at the crossroads between the Mediterranean and Central Europe, Croatia is a gateway for some European countries to reach the markets of the Middle and Far East, and vice versa.
This geostrategic position combined with vast potentials in port facilities, an excellent high-way network and the envisioned development of the existing railways, speak of business opportunities yet to be seized. 
However, this is only one piece in the mosaic of Croatia’s prosperous future.
In building precisely such a future, the Croatian Government will remain dedicated to the policy of zero tolerance to corruption. Our robust actions in this area do indeed speak for themselves.
We will also continue to implement a wide range of measures and reforms to further strengthen the overall competitiveness of our economy.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Croatia attaches great importance to the further enhancement of its relations with all partners in Europe and beyond.
The same applies to those we have been nurturing with Finland.
I am glad to say that in the past years we have set important signposts in our relations at the highest political level.
And I am certain that our friendship and partnership will further deepen when Croatia becomes the 28th Member State of the European Union.
The new dynamism brought by the visits of President Tarja Halonen and Foreign Minister Alexander Stubb to Croatia, as well as the visit of Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor to Finland, has started to be translated into strengthening the economic dimension of our cooperation. 
In the last three years we have been witnessing positive and very promising trends in this regard.
It is worth mentioning that the volume of trade exchange between Croatia and Finland is almost double the total exchange Finland has with all other South East European countries combined.
Our two countries already successfully cooperate in many fields - such as in the program with Patria, as well as in the construction, energy and shipbuilding industry.
I would also like to express my firm support to the strengthening of Croatian-Finnish cooperation in the field of science, research and high technology, such as the recent one to hold the first Adriatic School on Nanoscience in Dubrovnik last month.
However, there still exists an ample spectre of potentials which remain to be explored so as to further enhance our economic ties.
I am sure that the introduction of the third regular direct flight connecting our two countries will play its part in this process.
It is now only three hours separating Helsinki from the beautiful Adriatic cities of Dubrovnik, Split and Pula.
Along with facilitating business, academic and cultural contacts, I hope that they will also make Croatia an ever more enticing tourist destination for visitors from Finland.
In conclusion, I would like to express my belief that this forum will lead to discovering new forms of cooperation which will add a new wind into the sails of Croatia-Finland relations.
With this in mind, I wish you all to have fruitful and successful talks.   
Thank you for your attention!