Željko Sabo, Mayor of the City of Vukovar
Five Stars Croatia Issue 6 — May 09, 2011.

The Town of Vukovar is positioned in the northeast part of the Republic of Croatia, at the mouth of the River Vuka where it flows into the Danube, at a point where the regions of Slavonia (Slavonija) and Syrmia (Srijem) unite. As the centre of the Vukovar-Srijem County, the most eastern county of the Republic of Croatia, today the number of inhabitants of Vukovar is 31,670.

   The Vukovar area has been populated continuously over the last 7000 years and testified by numerous archaeological sites. Particularly significant for the area is the 5,000 year-old Vučedol culture, named after the archaeological site Vučedol, where the famous Vučedol Dove was discovered, today a symbol of the Town of Vukovar.

Vukovar is an ancient baroque town. In modern times it is most recognizable for its heroic defence in the Homeland War in 1991, but also for the horrible devastation that took place during this time. Among numerous attractive buildings which distinguish themselves, damaged heavily during the war are the Church of St. Philip and Jacob, the Church of St. Nicolai, the baroque arches and multi-storey houses with arcades in the centre of the town, Palace Srijem and the Eltz Castle complex. Among the most significant figures born in Vukovar are certainly the Nobel Prize laureate Lavoslav Ružička, museologist Antun Bauer, writer Nikola Andrić and academician Pavao Pavličić.

Thanks to the specificity of its geographical location, primarily characterised by the international waterway - the Danube River - Vukovar represents a significant transport node of major routes. It is only 16 km away from Vinkovci, the largest railway junction in the Republic of Croatia, and 39 km from the motorway Zagreb - Belgrade, which makes it one of the most significant nodes of main routes in the Republic of Croatia, especially in the international transit of goods. Certainly, the Airport of Osijek contributes to this, situated a mere 20 km away. The economy of Vukovar is based on trade, agriculture, food industry, construction materials industry, textile industry and shoe industry. Of five Croatian inland ports, Vukovar is the only port on the Danube, one of the most significant waterways, navigable 365 days per year. Port Vukovar primarily carries out port transhipments and warehouse operations with goods for various business entities from Croatia and abroad. The annual transhipment capacity of Port Vukovar is around 1,500,000 tonnes of various goods.

Tourism is also one of the more significant economic activities in the town. During the year, around 18,000 tourists disembark in Vukovar from tourist waterway cruise ships. After the reconstruction of Hotel Lav, conference tourism has begun to develop as well. Vukovar boasts two hotels: Hotel Dunav and Hotel Lav. Though damaged in the Homeland War, the well-known Vukovar picnic grounds of Vučedol and Adica entice with their natural beauty to this day, both Vukovar locals and all visitors of the town.

The Town of Vukovar is a town filled with advantages for potential investors, not just on account of its favourable geo-strategic location, but because of the various benefits that investors who invest in the town can receive. In addition to customs and tax benefits and the benefits offered by the Town of Vukovar, new businessmen whose businesses are seated in the Town of Vukovar also receive various advantages when recruiting new employees. Businessmen can also receive significant non-returnable aid through various models of co-financing offered by the Fund for the renewal and development of the Town of Vukovar. One of the most significant and favourable places for investments in the Town of Vukovar is certainly the Vukovar Business Zone (VBZ), which, in addition to the proximity of the port and important transport routes, is marked by a completely developed municipal infrastructure. A great advantage is the direct connection of the railway in VBZ and Port Vukovar. We should also point out the advantages that will be created by the construction of the multipurpose canal Danube-Sava, along with the further development and construction of the port. Lower river transport and goods transport charges, compared to sea transport, are very attractive to the future beneficiaries of VGZ.

Furthermore, the Town of Vukovar is growing as brand name of the continental part of the Republic of Croatia, regardless of the economic crisis surrounding us. Numerous businessmen have expressed their interest in investing in Vukovar and it is only a matter of time when a great investment expansion will occur, potentially the greatest one, not only in Croatian but in European proportions. The greatest guarantee to investors is exactly what the Town of Vukovar provides, which is its constant willingness to provide all of its services to potential investors. Naturally, the entire Town Council headed by the Mayor and the town's companies are at their disposal 24/7.