The forum was organised by the Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) as part of a visit by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov to Croatia. It was attended by representatives of about 30 Croatian and Bulgarian companies.

"Bulgaria knows what it means to be a member of the European Union and how important it is for Croatia and its economy to finally become a part of that world," the Croatian Minister of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, Djuro Popijac, said in his opening remarks.

Although economic relations between the two countries were described as good, the forum highlighted the dissatisfaction of both sides with the potential for cooperation that had been exploited so far. It was said that this was partly due to the global economic crisis which affected the two countries' economies and bilateral relations.

HGK vice-president Vesna Trnokop Tanta said there was room for improvement, citing as potential areas of cooperation transport, the use of the Sava and Danube rivers as transport corridors, and the interest in the development of free trade areas.

Croatian companies expressed an interest in highway construction and energy projects, while Bulgarian entrepreneurs showed an interest in expanding cooperation in the construction sector, defence industry, chemical industry, and tourism.

"Croatia is still a tourism leader in the region and Bulgaria has still a lot to learn from it," said the Bulgarian Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Traycho Traykov, adding that Bulgaria had expanded its traditional offering to include spa and golf tourism. He said that Bulgaria was interested in introducing charter flights to Croatia.

Trade between Croatia and Bulgaria in 2010 was 108.4 million euros, of which Croatian exports amounted to 35.6 million euros.