Croatia will try to woo investors in North America and the Middle East with a roadshow, seeking to capitalise on its entry to the European Union in July and to revive its economy after four years of recession, Reuters reported.

"We plan to start going on roadshows from April, to Canada, the United States, the Middle East and across Europe, to present the changes we're making to attract investors," Economy Minister Ivan Vrdoljak told Reuters in an interview on Monday.

 Heavily dependent on tourism after the demise of its ship-building industry, Croatia's economy has shrunk by around 10% since 2008, dashing government hopes that foreign investors would take a keen interest in the second ex-Yugoslav republic after Slovenia to qualify for EU entry. The government hopes a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and other energy projects might help private businesses to grow.

Source: bne