(Adnkronos) – Ways of reinvigorating Italy’s “already excellent” economic partnership with Croatia is the focus of a business forum in Zagreb on Tuesday attended by foreign minister Antonio Tajani, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Tajani and Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlic-Radman are set to open the Italy-Croatia Business Forum, which will take an in-depth look the raft of business opportunities and financial instruments that can ratchet up bilateral economic cooperation, said the statement.
The forum agenda is organised around three sectoral groups focusing on the green transition, infrastructure and digitalisation, and industrial cooperation, the statement said.
Italian airline ITA, state export credit agency Sace, service provider Simest, state lender CDP and industry representatives are attending Tuesday’s business forum, as the government looks to boost bilateral trade now worth over 8 billion euros annually with a positive trade balance for Italy, the statement noted.
Italy is currently Croatia’s second largest supplier, with a market share equal to 13.3 percent, the statement pointed out.
Tajani views the Adriatic-Balkan area as “a region with high potential, thanks to considerable economic dynamism and sustained growth rates,” the statement underlined.
There are over 300 Italian companies operating in the country, making a “decisive contribution” to Croatian businesses, according to the statement.
Tajani’s mission will also offer an opportunity to take stock of the excellent state of bilateral relations during talks with Radman and with Croatia’s premier Andrej Plenkovic, the statement said.
Besides bolstering economic cooperation, the meetings will focus on trilateral cooperation between the Northern Adriatic, Croatia and Slovenia, as well as on coordination with the European Union and Nato.
Strengthening cultural cooperation, with a particular focus on Italophony, are also on the mission agenda, and the role of the indigenous Italian minority in Croatia as a bridge in political dialogue between the two shores of the Adriatic will be underscored, the statement concluded.
