CROATIA ENERGY CONFERENCE
Successful Presentation of the Croatian Energy Companies
Ambassador Dr. Ivan Grdesic opens the Energy Conference
More than 120 potential American investors were present at the conference titled Croatia’s Energy Industry: Strategic
Opportunities for U.S. Companies in Washington, D.C. on February 13, 2002.
Co-sponsored and organized by the U.S. Trade and Development Agency and
the U.S. Department of Commerce in cooperation with the U.S.
Export-Import Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), this one-day event was designed with an aim
to present the three major energy companies’ planned restructuring,
modernization and privatization to the potential American investors.
“This conference is not just an exchange of information. This was a
planned action to promote Croatian market to the American investors, and
according to the number of American companies that applied for the individual
meetings with their Croatian counterparts, it is going to be a success story,”
said Ms. Thelma J. Askey, Director of the US Trade and Development Agency, adding that Croatia is of special
interest for the American partners which is why both the U.S. TDA and the U.S.
Ex-Im Bank have their regional offices in Zagreb.
Ms. Maja Brinar, Croatian Deputy Minister of Economy, gave in the
introduction a thorough overview of the major economic indicators, the
regulatory frames for privatization, reforms of the energy sector, and the
goals the government wants to reach, stating, “Privatization of the energy
sector is one of the most complex and comprehensive tasks, and our aim is to
enable the economic growth, transfer of technologies and the know-how,” adding,
“We want to live in conditions appropriate for the 21st century and
have a clear environment, therefore we must invest.”
It is rather early for conclusions, however, according to the first impressions there is enormous enthusiasm on both the American and the Croatian side. The American Government officials and businessmen believe that very food foundations have been laid for future cooperation, and the CEOs of the Croatian companies did not hide their content with the contacts and potential businesses that have been set in Washington.
Ambassador Dr. Ivan Grdesic and U.S. Trade and Development Agency Director
Thelma J. Askey