State visit to Croatia: Conclusion of business seminars

President,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen

The relations between Croatia and Norway are built on many pillars. Trade and industrial cooperation is one of them. This is an important element, because it is crucial to achieve central national goals for both countries, namely economic growth and prosperity, employment and social welfare. The ties between Croatia and Norway are strong and the bilateral relations in general are excellent, but there is still further potential when it comes to mutual business relations and investments.

Business cannot be established by governments alone. Successful business has to build on relations between people and companies in our business communities. They have to be nurtured and cultivated. Today’s seminars in the Croatian-Norwegian Forum of Competence are examples of how this can and should be done. Bringing competent people with common interests together to explore innovative ways of developing new business and industrial projects is a very valuable undertaking. It will of course just be one step on the road towards increased cooperation, and must be followed up. It is my understanding that it will be.

Today’s events have focused on some special areas of interests:

• Renewable energy
• Tunnelling technology
• Defence industry
• Geographic information for development

These are areas of common interest to our two countries and should be developed further through academic cooperation, scientific and technological research, and business projects.

I am happy that another important element of the cooperation between our two countries, the grant scheme in our economic cooperation programme, also focuses on industrial development. This creates an even stronger basis for future business relations between Croatia and Norway.

I would like to congratulate the Croatian-Norwegian Forum of Competence on today’s seminars. Tomorrow, in Šibenik, we will continue talking business – but then in the maritime field. I am sure that the seminar in Šibenik will be just as successful as today’s seminar in Zagreb.

Mr President, I hope that the economic and commercial ties between Croatia and Norway will be strengthened as a result of this visit. And that you – Croatian and Norwegian businessmen – will continue to work together for the benefit of your companies and countries after this visit has ended.

Thank you.