CROATIAN ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY IN THE GLOBALISED WORLD

Classical political diplomacy is gaining its relevance in combination with economic diplomacy. New concept of Croatian economic diplomacy has to be developed. As a policy targets, Croatian macroecomomic policies should define autonomous export growth; inparticular, increase of “export per capita” as well increase of “relative shares” of Croatian exports in total world trade. Export push strategy is inevitable policy option for small open economies in transition, including Croatia. Croatian diplomacy and bussiness sector has two basic policy targets in building and strengthening international legitimacy and sovereignity of the state: diplomacy has a primary goal to enable low costs of market access to the new markets or/and increase of relative market shares in the old markets for Croatian exporters, removing political barriers and non – commercial (political) export risks; while, Croatian exporters should be able to secure competitive advantages for entry into the international markets. Croatia has to design strategy for economic relations withother countries, that should consist of policy targets for economic diplomacy and policy tools for their implementation within the framework of foreign policy strategy of the country. Croatia has chosen two basic policies, that are mutually consistent: “bilateraloption” and “enhanced CEFTA option”.