(ANSA) - BUCHAREST - Trade between Croatia and Romania had a 25 percent increase in the first six months of 2017, after a slight decrease in 2016, said Luka Burilovic, President of the Croatian Chamber of Economy, at the Romania-Croatia Business Forum, President Klaus Iohannis and his Croatian counterpart Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic attending the event.

''There is high potential for improving relations, especially in areas such as transport and infrastructure, energy, ITC, defense industry, shipbuilding, tourism, strategic partnerships and joint ventures on third markets,'' Burilovic added as The Romania Journal reports.

According to National Institute of Statistics (INS), the total bilateral trade between Romania and Croatia reached EUR 270.1 million in 2016, with exports totaling EUR 159.7 million and imports of EUR 110.4 million. According to National Office of Trade Registry (ONRC) data, on October 2, 2017, the number of active Croatian capital companies in Romania reached 144, with a total subscribed capital of EUR 4.27 million. (ANSA).