During his visit to the town of Stari Grad on the Adriatic island of Hvar on Thursday, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic announced a possibility of the start of the country's economic recovery in 2013, and said that the standards on islands were little better than in the rest of Croatia, except major cities.
"The crisis is big, deep and global and I am sure it will take a few more years, but we believe in the beginning of our recovery next year," Milanovic said addressing a special session of the town's council on the occasion of the day of the town on the Feast of St. Roch, its patron saint.
Explaining that his cabinet "believes realistically in a moderate growth rate", he said that the lesson of the global financial crisis taught Croatia that it must be integrated into the world market and simultaneously be protected against disturbances.
PM Milanovic sees opportunities in tourism, agriculture, ports, energy sector and the know-how.
Tourism on the islands enables them to reach the standards of Western Europe. With the development of agriculture on the islands, one should try extend the season of tourist arrivals from two peak months currently to five peak months, Milanovic said.
"Although it is not popular to say this here, the life on the islands is different and less complicated and also little better than in other parts of Croatia outside major cities," Milanovic said adding that the government's task is to remove barriers that obstruct the development of islands.
"There are parts of the country stricken by the war and destroyed with local people being emotionally exhausted and empoverished, and in those parts the government must give more assistance, such areas are for example Slavonia and the Dalmatian hinterland," he said.
Milanovic then mentioned Croatians' "fellow country-people" living outside Croatia, that is in Croatia's neighbouring countries.
"They live in more difficult circumstances than we here and we must help them as their contribution to the creation of Croatia's state was great," Milanovic said adding that "we who live here have the emotional bond with the Croats in neighbouring countries," Milanovic went on to say that Croatia respected its neighbours and accepted the historical facts.
Calling for commitment to joint goals, Milanovic said that Croatia must be aware of its possibilities.
"Self-awareness is the biggest opportunity for a people and a political union of different regions and cultures such Croatia is," he added.
Stari Grad Mayor Djurdjica Plancic said that she deeply believed that the government would have understanding for difficulties which island residents were faced with.
"We need the government's assistance," she said.
