Croatian President Stjepan Mesic opened the West Gate shopping mall in the Zagreb suburb of Zapresic, worth EUR 270 million.

West Gate covers a 100,000 square metre shopping area with 260 shops, 32 restaurants and coffee shops and a parking lot for 7,250 vehicles. It also includes a children's play park, an ice rink, bowling alleys, and a casino, among other attractions.

Opening the mall, Mesic commended the investors, architects and contractors for their vision, saying consumers would no longer have to go shopping abroad.

West Gate was built by the Stipic Grupa construction company over 15 months.