Deputy Foreign Minister Joško Klisović presented the economic diplomacy program to the members of the Economic Council of the President of the Republic of Croatia, and President Ivo Josipović stated after the meeting that it is a valuable project and a visible progress from which he expects positive results.
He emphasized that this is a new concept of organizing economic diplomacy, which should unify the efforts of all relevant institutions in promoting the Croatian economy abroad and encourage investments in Croatia. He is confident that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs program will ensure synergy between the ministries responsible for the economy and the diplomatic network, and he also highlighted the importance of the participation of the Chamber of Economy and the Chamber of Crafts in this endeavor.
Journalists were interested in the details of the program presented at the closed meeting, but Deputy Minister Klisović stated that the entire program will be presented at a press conference by Minister Vesna Pusić at the end of the month. He emphasized that the program was designed in collaboration with entrepreneurs, that the goal is to adapt the entire diplomatic network to economic diplomacy, and that, along with ambassadors and honorary consuls and diplomatic staff, members of the Government and the President of the Republic himself will participate in promoting the Croatian economy worldwide.
Council member Ivan Ergović stated that he believes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs program is good and offers a thorough approach to economic diplomacy. He assessed that the representations of the Croatian Chamber of Economy abroad should be integrated into embassies, which he is convinced would make the whole process cheaper and more efficient. Ergović warned of the problems entrepreneurs face with sluggish administration, as well as the increasing burdens.
