Croatian minister of economy and sustainable development Ante Susnjar expressed his country's aspiration to expand co-operation with the State of Qatar in several areas, especially the energy and infrastructure sectors, information technology, food industry, and tourism, in light of the existence of many major agreements that already facilitate financial transactions, such as the Double Taxation Agreement and others.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the Croatian minister said that the two countries are currently negotiating memorandums of understanding related to political consultations, as well as a co-operation agreement in the field of ports between Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) and the Port of Rijeka.
He pointed out that the State of Qatar has expressed its interest in establishing a twinning agreement between Doha and Zagreb, which contributes to strengthening bilateral relations and enhances cultural and economic co-operation.
The economic co-operation between Qatar and Croatia has witnessed positive developments, as the total trade exchange in 2023 amounted to about $9.3mn, while it increased in the first ten months of 2024 to $11mn, which represents a growth of 66.3%, he added.
He explained that his visit to the State of Qatar and the meetings with Qatari officials in the past period identified key sectors for future co-operation, primarily energy, especially through the liquefied natural gas plant on the Island of Krk, as well as construction, information technology sector, pharmaceutical and food industries.
He confirmed that tourism is an area of particular importance, as the parties are seeking to develop cooperation in it, given the great potential that the Croatian tourism sector has to offer to Qatari investors.
The Croatian official expressed his country's desire to renew and expand co-operation with the Qatari side in the liquefied natural gas sector, stressing that Qatar has supplied the Croatian LNG terminal with liquefied natural gas on several occasions in 2021 and 2022.
The Croatian Minister also noted his country's work on the development of a gas pipeline to Slovenia and Hungary.
On the policies pursued by Croatia to attract Qatari investments to the Croatian economy, he affirmed that Croatia is constantly improving the investment climate to promote economic growth and development.
He explained that one of the main steps taken by his country is to reduce administrative burdens and facilitate business operations. In addition, strengthening the support system allows entrepreneurs greater access to financial resources, which enhances competitiveness.
He added that providing free operational support to investors plays an important role in attracting foreign investments, as it facilitates the process of starting and operating a business, where special emphasis is placed on the system of government aid for investments, with the aim of encouraging investments in strategic sectors.
In this regard, he highlighted that tax incentives for Research and Development projects (R&D) stimulate innovation and growth, moreover, a special procedure has been established for strategic investment projects in the Republic of Croatia, which allows their implementation faster and more efficiently as these initiatives demonstrate the government's commitment to creating a more favourable business environment and promoting long-term investments in key sectors.
The Croatian minister of economy underscored the importance of strengthening cooperation between the private sector of the two countries, stating that the private sector plays a crucial role in strengthening trade relations between Croatia and Qatar, especially through initiatives that encourage investment, innovation and knowledge exchange.
He mentioned that concrete steps have already been taken, such as the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Croatian Chamber of Commerce and the Qatari Chamber, as well as the organisation of economic forums and bilateral meetings.
He underlined the importance of focusing the next steps on the practical implementation of the agreed initiatives, adding that the private sector can contribute significantly to enhancing trade co-operation between Qatar and Croatia through investments, technological co-operation and joint projects in strategic sectors.
He explained that the key to success will be the practical implementation of the projects that have been started, the creation of concrete business models, and the maintenance of constant dialogue between business entities and enterprises of both countries.
Regarding the strengthening of tourism cooperation between the two countries, he pointed to the increase in the number of Qatari tourists visiting Croatia, where an increase of 17% was recorded in 2024.
Answering a question about the economic reforms being implemented to improve the business environment in Croatia, he noted that his government is firmly committed to creating a favourable environment for foreign investments and is constantly improving the business climate to facilitate business operations and promote investments.
In this context, he reiterated that they are implementing a series of measures aimed at reducing administrative burdens, reducing quasi-tax fees and digitizing services for entrepreneurs, adding that they are confident that these changes will be very beneficial for foreign investors, including investors from Qatar, and that these regulatory amendments will ensure more favourable conditions for business development in Croatia.
Ante Susnjar, Croatian minister of economy and sustainable development.
