Finance Minister Šuker holds talks with EBRD president

Finance Minister Ivan Suker and associates on Friday met the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Thomas Mirow, exchanging opinions on future cooperation between the bank and Croatia, the Finance Ministry said in a press release.

Suker said the EBRD could be an active partner in infrastructure projects, such as the construction of highways and ports, the lending of money to farms via the Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the financing of Plinacro's purchase of an underground gas storage facility, and the privatisation of the state portfolio.

In May 2010, Zagreb will host the EBRD's annual conference, which is a recognition of Croatia's leading position in this region, the press release said, adding that the event would draw some 3,000 people from the finance and business sectors, providing an opportunity for Croatia to present its economy and capital market as well as attract investors and representatives of international financial institutions and commercial banks.

The ministry said that hosting the conference would also be politically important for Croatia.

Since Croatia joined the EBRD in 1993, the bank's activity in the country has reached close to EUR 2 billion in the public and private sectors, mobilising an additional EUR 3 billion.