The Croatian Chamber of Commerce (HGK) will close its offices in Belgrade, Pristina, Sarajevo, Kotor, Banja Luka and Afghanistan but will send a request to the government to open a HGK office in Washington D.C., it was decided at the HGK Assembly on Wednesday.
"They have wrapped up an episode, after the war they have integrated the areas of the former Yugoslavia, economically speaking, visas have been abolished and the investment activities of Croatian companies have been boosted. We have a dominant role on all these markets and in that context this episode is finished," HGK President Nadan Vidosevic said.
A new era is coming, Croatia will be part of the European Union in a few days, funds for cross-border cooperation will go through Croatia and in that context the HGK wants to strengthen its county chambers which will develop cross-border cooperation with regions of our neighbouring countries, he added.
The HGK will also intensify its activities in European associations and it wants to boost its role on the Russian market and create a new platform for exports to Russia.
Vidosevic said the HGK wants to enter the US market as the United States is the main strategic political partner with whom Croatia has no relations and the HGK wants to change that.
Commenting on employees working in HGK branches that are about to close down, Vidosevic said some would be integrated with the HGK system while others would unfortunately be laid off.
Commenting on the current state of economic affairs, Vidosevic said it was evident that Croatia was in a five-year long crisis and that central government debts were growing and the private sector does not have the strength for investments at this moment.
