ZAGREB — Croatia is ready to welcome more cooperation with China, local experts told Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT) on Nov 27.

The sixth meeting of heads of government of China and 16 Central and Eastern European countries is underway in the Hungarian capital of Budapest, with the attendance of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plankovic.

Jasna Plevnik, a senior specialist at the Croatian Chamber of Economy, said on HRT that Croatia had all fundamentals for the further development of relations with China.

At last year’s summit in Riga, she mentioned, Croatia and China signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the matter of ports and port industrial parks, and the Croatian government is ready to cooperate with China under the Belt and Road Initiative.

“Until 2014, Croatia was passive in terms of the relations with China. Now I see positive steps and the Croatian government shows interest for better relations,” according to Plevnik.

She said it was time for a significant shift in terms of economic relations. The Croatian Chamber of Economy is preparing to open an office in Shanghai that should be helpful over Croatian exports.

“There is an interest in food industry products, tourism, pharmaceutical products. Croatia could attract Chinese investments in agriculture,” Plevnik said.

Dario Kuntic, a political analyst, said on HRT that China had become a very important economic power whose ambitions are more than regional. “China is exploiting its economic capacities. It is investing huge money in the world and Europe,” Kuntic said.