A delegation of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, led by Prime Minister Ivica Račan, at Podravka and Belupo

A Government delegation, led by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Ivica Račan, visited Podravka today. Accompanying the Prime Minister were the Minister of the Economy, Goranko Fižulić, the Minister of Crafts and Small and Medium-Sized Entreprises, Željko Pecek, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Tomislav Ledić, and their associates.

The President of the Podravka Management Board, Darko Marinac, acquainted the Government delegation with the business operations of Podravka and with the development plans of one of the largest food companies in Central Europe. In addition, in the presence of the Government delegation, Mr. Darko Marinac signed the Decision on the Establishment of the “Zlata Bartl” Foundation, in honour of the woman who led the Podravka research team in 1958 when Vegeta, a product now sold in some forty countries around the world, was invented. The objective of the “Zlata Bartl” Foundation is to stimulate and fund the scientific work and research activities of graduate and postgraduate students who are citizens of the Republic of Croatia. The base capital of the “Zlata Bartl” Foundation will be funds to the amount of HRK 400,000.00, invested by Podravka, while other funds will be collected in the form of donations from legal and natural persons, as well as through other activities in conformity with the provisions of the Law on Foundations and Endowments. After signing the Decision, the Prime Minister, Ivica Račan, and the President of the Podravka Management Board, Darko Marinac, paid a visit to Ms. Bartl in her home in Koprivnica.

Following their visit to Podravka, the Government delegation visited Belupo, the pharmaceutical company which operates within the Podravka Group. The delegation was received by the Management of Belupo and its President, Sani Pogorilić, who outlined the development plans and business operations of Belupo. Later, the Government delegation was shown around Belupo’s production facilities for human drugs which meets all GMP standards and conforms with EU and American Food and Drug Administration regulations.