Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor said on Thursday that early next week the government would present amendments to a number of laws with a view to giving additional impetus to previously announced investment projects and reducing unemployment.
"We want to ensure a new take-off in the implementation of the 30 announced investment projects," Kosor said at a government session.
"It won't be possible to implement them all this year, but we are intensively working on them and I think we will be able to present early next week those which can be launched now," she said, adding the focus of the government's entire work was to solve the unemployment issue, "which is depressing and tormenting us."
Kosor called on the Croatian Employers Association, unions and local government units to take part in the implementation of that objective.
She called on employers to reconsider lay-off plans for this year and urged them to fight for every job.
Kosor also commented on the case of Croatian war veteran Tihomir Purda, who was arrested in Bosnia on an international warrant issued by Serbia for war crimes. She commended Justice Minister Drazen Bosnjakovic, saying his meeting with Serbian Justice Minister Snezana Malovic yesterday and the conclusions that were adopted "lead to solutions."
Kosor stressed that the government strongly advocated enforcing the law and respecting institutions founded on the Croatian constitution.
"We will persevere in that and we won't give up. The year ahead will certainly be difficult because it is an election year and there will be pressures, but please, don't give up."
Bosnjakovic said he was pleased about yesterday's meeting in Zagreb too, highlighting that it was agreed that Serbia should initiate amendments to its amnesty act in such a way that it covered all Croatian citizens who were convicted in Serbia for armed rebellion and overthrowing the former Yugoslavia.
Interior Minister Tomislav Karamarko said the laws must be enforced consistently and that this was "the alpha and omega of the rule of law." "Our soldiers didn't die in the Homeland War for just any Croatia, but for a law-based and civilised Croatia."
Also today, the government sent to parliament amendments to the general tax law and the law on benefits, as part of its Economic Recovery Programme.
The government suggested that 2011 be declared Rudjer Boskovic Year on the occasion of the world-famous Croatian physicist's 300th birthday.
