Roundup: Croatian politicians welcome positive EU growth forecast

Croatian politicians on Friday welcomed a positive forecast by the European Commission (EC) predicting mild GDP growth for the country in 2015.

Croatia's recession is forecast to come to an end in 2015 and its GDP is expected to grow 0.2 percent, the EC said in its winter economic forecast released Thursday.

Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said: "It represents a positive trend and we'll see if it changes into concrete growth rates," he said.

Finance Minister Boris Lalovac said the positive forecast was a result of government efforts to write-off debt for its poorest citizens and to trigger a rise in consumption.

"It is important that economic trends begin to change somewhat," Lalovac said.

Entrepreneurship and Trade Minister Gordan Maras said the EC forecasts were important as Croatia emerges from six years of recession.

"All indicators from growth of private consumption to exports and production are positive and I can only say that I am pleased that we managed to pull Croatia out of the recession," he said.

The Croatian national statistical office earlier published figures showing retail trade in December 2014 increased 2.6 percent over 2013 while industrial production jumped 5.3 percent, the fourth straight month of growth and the biggest rise since the beginning of the recession in 2009. Endit