b92.net
25 November 2010 09:30 -> 14:43 Source: B92, Tanjug ZAGREB -- Serbian President Boris Tadić is spending the second day of his official visit to Croatia attending a business forum along with his host Ivo Josipović.
The Zagreb event brought together representatives of 40 Croatian and more than 70 Serbian companies, institutes, banks and regional chambers of commerce.
The Zagreb event brought together representatives of 40 Croatian and more than 70 Serbian companies, institutes, banks and regional chambers of commerce.
Tadić told the Serbia-Croatia Business Forum in Zagreb that at the beginning of the global economic crisis, the two countries were on the verge of an economic breakdown, but that they managed to prevent it.
We have learned a lesson and we should use the crisis as a chance to mend our economic system, Tadić said.
According to him, Serbia has implemented certain economic measures which have both good and bad sides.
For instance, export has been increased by 20 percent owing to a floating exchange rate, however on the other side such an exchange rate can lead to inflation and that has to be prevented, the Serbian president said.
Tadić said that the arrangement with the IMF is one of the measures which have a stabilizing effect on the Serbian economy.
“It is also very important that we realize our joint resources and use the capacities we have in the metal industry, as well as the huge capacities in the defense industry,” Tadić said, adding that it is necessary to follow the trends in the friendly markets, all with the aim to increase the standard of living of the citizens in both states.
Neither Serbia nor Croatia can realize a high rate of growth and standard unless the current structure of economy is changed, and unless the countries do not focus on export and high technology, Tadić underscored. If we do not do that, we will always lag behind and will not be able to persevere in the international market, the Serbian president concluded.
Croatian President Ivo Josipović said Thursday that he had a “good news” - which was that in Croatia there would be no more political obstruction to the economic cooperation with Serbia.
During a business forum between Croatia and Serbia, Josipović said that “in some other times, there was this policy of obstruction, prejudices and fears preventing the cooperation, but the times are now past.”
The Croatian president pointed out to the necessity of breaking the remnants of the policy which made every cooperation look like a business scandal.
Commenting on Tadić's statement that there seemed to be an impression that Serbian investments were not welcome in Croatia, Josipović said he believed the situation was to the contrary.
“I deny that Serbian investments are not welcome in Croatia, but I do admit that certain Serbia's companies have been discriminated,” he said, adding that he had informed Tadić about a number of Croatian companies that had been discriminated in Serbia.
The Croatian president stressed that good results could be achieved only by the two countries' cooperating in between themselves and with other countries in the region, particularly in the coming times, when Croatia and Serbia would be part of the huge European market with its strict rules and laws.
“We can make it on the market if we cooperate, otherwise our little economies will have to compete with the better developed economies of bigger countries, which enjoy strong political support,” Josipović underlined.
The business forum in Zagreb today was announced as the largest event of its kind in the past decade.
Some 200 Croatian companies are currently doing business in Serbia, while only one Serbian company is active in Croatia - Swisslion Takovo.
The food processing factory invested some EUR 20mn in the confectionery industry in the town of Sisak, but its director, Rodoljub Drašković, told B92 that he was not satisfied with the business climate in Croatia, and that he was doubtful whether Tadić's good relations with Jospović would make any difference on that front.
Yesterday, Tadić and his Croatian counterpart met in Zagreb and stressed that the issue of missing persons was among those unresolved between the two countries.
As for the genocide lawsuit filed by Croatia, and Serbia's counter-suit, Tadić said that commissions set up by the two countries were working "highly efficiently", and that "we'll continue to resolve all issues in this spirit".
Croatian Parliament Speaker Luka Bebić, who also met with the Serbian president, said that "another way, a way of cooperation" was needed, but added that at present, he was unable to say whether the lawsuits would be dropped.
Tadić is today also visiting the municipalities of Krnjak and Gračac where he will tour a fair, and meet with representatives of Serbs.
b92.net
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