Prime Minister Milanovic meets EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is organising an international conference in London in early 2014 in order to help efforts to attract investments in southeastern Europe, EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti said in Zagreb on Thursday after he held separate meetings with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic.

The leadership which Croatia has shown in attracting investments in the region and the country's role in bringing together those countries in order to strengthen economic integration so as to ensure more foreign investments are very important, Chakrabarti said.

Therefore, a high-level investors conference is necessary at the beginning of next year and I hope that Croatia will take part in it, he said.

"The EBRD is the largest investor in Croatia," Josipovic said, announcing the continuation of EBRD activity in Croatia with the focus on small and medium-size enterprises.

So far in the last 20 years, EUR 2.8 billion has been invested in some 150 projects, and this is one of the strongest partnerships in the region, Chakrabarti said.

This year we are going to invest EUR 230 million in Croatia, he added.

During his talks with Milanovic, the bank president said that the EBRD wanted to help Croatia in its recovery, underscoring the importance of the Croatian economy for the entire region.

Milanovic briefed the EBRD president about his cabinet's bill on strategic investments that is currently in parliamentary procedure.

Chakrabarti and his Croatian hosts also discussed possibilities to help Croatia in the absorption of EU funds.

The admission to the European Union is very important for Croatia's future and for the future of the region.



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