Croatian PM Tells CNN’s Richard Quest: “I’m A Passionate Pragmatist”

“I am a passionate pragmatist. I am from a country that paid a heavy price for its independence, now we won the war and victory,” is what Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic told CNN’s Quest Means Business show host Richard Quest during an interview which aired last night when asked about his emotions with Croatia set to join the European Union in July.

Milanovic said that in the lead up to Croatia’s EU entry his cabinet was trying its best to reform the country. The Croatian PM acknowledged that the government needed to ‘raise the attractiveness of the country for investments’ and said that Croatia’s recovery was also dependant on its neighbours. Milanovic said that Italy, who have deep economic problems, needed to recover to help aid Croatia’s growth as he said they were Croatia’s major trading partner.

“We have a diversified economy but we rely on our strong and big neighbours,” said the PM. He also stressed more need to be done with legislation change and reforming public administration and that ideas, reforms and competitiveness will help Croatia’s recovery.