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<p align="center"><b>Prime Minister Ivica Racan - guest of the first PLIVA Forum</b></p> |
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<p>Zagreb, June 20 - The guest of seventy of PLIVA's managers at the first PLIVA |
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Forum held on June 19 was Prime Minister of Croatia Ivica Racan. In his introductory |
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speech, the Prime Minister gave a brief overview of the Government's work in |
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office so far, stressing the fact that Croatia had only four to five years time |
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to achieve good economic results, and that he expected Croatia to join the European |
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Union by the end of 2006. This is a very ambitious goal, said Prime Minister |
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Racan, and this Government and whoever constitutes the next Government will |
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be faced with hard work and unpopular measures. However, based on encouraging |
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indicators, rapid growth in the economy is expected by the end of the year.</p> |
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<p> |
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He then went on |
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to say that only investments in development could encourage skilled young professionals |
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with a modern vision of Croatia to stay or return to the country, which was |
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the task of the Government, while the task of leading companies like PLIVA was |
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to recruit and employ them.</p> |
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<p>Speaking about the Government's and his own personal vision for Croatia, Prime |
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Minister Racan said that Croatia was a small country with values and resources |
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that had to be recognized, that we needed to preserve the environment and show |
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that we know how to integrate global trends but remain faithful to ourselves. |
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He added that he saw Croatia as a well-off and successful country like Denmark, |
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Holland or Ireland, but also stressed that the reality, which every vision depends |
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on, was harsh.</p> |
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<p>The only thing to do is use the European integration process to accelerate |
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the development of Croatia, said the Prime Minister, adding that Croatia had |
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much to offer Europe and that this was not a one-way process.</p> |
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<p>Speaking about the informatization of the country, Racan said he wished that |
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the meetings of his Cabinet soon started to look more like the meeting he had |
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just had with PLIVA's Management Board, with computers and less piles of paper.</p> |
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<p>In conclusion, the Prime Minister also thanked the participants for not asking |
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him the usual questions about the five coalition parties or reconstruction of |
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the Government, and reiterated that the Government wanted to support and have |
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good relations with successful Croatian companies such as PLIVA that are becoming |
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more and more European and global.</p> |
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<p>PLIVA's CEO Zeljko Covic said he was glad that Prime Minister Racan was the |
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guest of the Forum and stated: "It is a pleasure to have the Prime Minister |
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and the delegation from the Government as guests. The discussions at the PLIVA |
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Forum confirmed PLIVA's readiness to contribute to building a European and highly |
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educated Croatia, based on research and technological development and other |
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advantages that Croatia has to offer".</p> |
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<p>PLIVA Forums will be held every month with prominent guests from Croatia and |
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from around the world.</p> |
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<p>For additional information please contact:</p> |
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<p>Dubravko Merlic<br> |
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Corporate Communications<br> |
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Director<br> |
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Tel: 385 1 6120 852<br> |
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Fax: 385 1 6160 358<br> |
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E-mail: <a href="mailto:Dubravko.Merlic@pliva.hr">Dubravko.Merlic@pliva.hr</a> |
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</p> |