The French-Croatian Business Club is the first initiative developing in Zagreb and will represent for French business people a bridge to Croatia, its president, David Gabelica, said on Thursday on the occasion of the establishment of the Club.
The aim of the Club is to facilitate contacts between entrepreneurs on both sides and contribute to a better understanding of the economic circumstances in France and Croatia as well as in the European Union and other markets. The Club's establishment has been supported by 50 French companies and branch offices.
Speaking at the official residence of French Ambassador Jerome Pasquier, Gabelica said the 50 French companies operating in Croatia employed about 8,000 people and that he would like Croatian companies to show interest and contact the French-Croatian Business Club with ideas and projects.
We hope the number of the Club's members will grow, he said, adding that interest in Croatia in France was constantly increasing.
Croatian Economy Minister Radimir Cacic welcomed the establishment of the Club.
"All French companies in Croatia are successfully implementing big projects," he said, adding that Lactalis "isn't only a successful Croatian story but a regional one as well."
"Croatia is strongly opening" to foreign investments and projects, Cacic said, regretting that many enterprise initiatives had often been declared "dangerous for Croatia, even criminal."
Speaking to the press, Cacic said he was very pleased with the signing of a concession agreement between the Croatian government and the French consortium Zagreb Airport International Company for the construction of a new passenger terminal at Zagreb Airport and the management of the existing and new terminals over the next 30 years.
The French companies Alstom, Saint-Jean Industries and Axereal, members of the French-Croatian Business Club, considerably contribute to Croatia's export possibilities.
