The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Croatian counterparts, namely, the Croatian Chamber of Economy, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, co-organized a seminar on UNIDO-Croatia Cooperation in Zagreb on 28 September 2023.

Fatou Haidara, Deputy to the Director General and Managing Director of the Directorate of Global Partnerships and External Relations, welcomed the participants on behalf of UNIDO and expressed the Organization’s commitment to strong multi-stakeholder partnerships in the region with the close engagement of counterparts from Croatia.

Attended by the representatives of Croatian businesses of different sizes and industrial sectors, the seminar marked an important milestone in the alignment of UNIDO-Croatia strategic priorities and the identification of new joint initiatives. Based on its unique experience of economic transition and competitive industries, Croatia has much to share with developing countries and economies in transition around the globe.

UNIDO’s long-standing counterpart Robert Blažinović, Acting Director General of the Directorate for Industry, Entrepreneurship and Crafts at the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Croatia, said: “We look forward to continuing and strengthening our cooperation with UNIDO. We would like to promote a dynamic and successful partnership, including on the regional level, so that we jointly contribute to the advancement of innovation and digitization in other countries. Progress can be only achieved through the joint effort of all those present here today.”

The productive discussion allowed participants to pinpoint promising opportunities for strengthened engagement, including with the dynamic Croatian business sector. The example of the successful model of UNIDO-Slovenia cooperation, which can serve as a benchmark for comparable countries in the region, was showcased by the representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Tourism and Sport of Slovenia and the Slovene Enterprise Fund.