Zagreb: Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Croatia on Wednesday on the first-ever visit by an Indian premier, during which he will hold talks with the country’s top leadership to strengthen bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
In a special gesture, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković received PM Modi at the airport.
“We welcomed Indian Prime Minister @narendramodi to Zagreb! This is the first ever visit by the Prime Minister of India – the most populous country in the world, which comes at an important geopolitical moment,” Plenković said on X.
“Concluding a productive Canada visit. Thankful to the Canadian people and Government for hosting a successful G7 Summit, which witnessed fruitful discussions on diverse global issues. We remain committed to furthering global peace, prosperity, and sustainability, “PM Modi posted on X as he departed for Croatia.
He is visiting the Balkan nation on the invitation of his Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenković.
During his visit, PM Modi will hold bilateral talks with his Croatian counterpart, Plenković, and will meet President Zoran Milanovic. Earlier, PM Modi briefly interacted with the Croatian PM at COP-26 in 2021 and during the virtual India-European Union Leaders Meeting the same year.
The visit, expected to deepen strategic cooperation, will feature delegation-level talks, agreements in key sectors, and cultural diplomacy. During the visit, India and Croatia will sign major agreements in the fields of science and technology, agriculture, education, and culture.
Both countries share centuries-old cultural connections, which PM Modi aims to deepen during this landmark visit.
An agreement on the extension of the Cultural Exchange Programme until 2030 is also expected to be signed, spanning performing arts, museums, archaeology, and media. The Hindi Chair at the University of Zagreb will also be extended, boosting India’s linguistic and educational outreach.
Talks are also expected to cover the proposed India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, a major infrastructure project aimed at boosting connectivity and trade, offering an alternative to existing global routes.
The visit comes amid growing support from Croatia for India’s stand on terrorism and its bid for a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.
India and Croatia have close cooperation in trade, investment, defence, and agriculture sectors, amongst others, and also cooperate in international fora, vibrant cultural exchanges, and close people-to-people ties.
The bilateral trade between the nations is about $300 million. Additionally, the Indian Investments in Croatia are Euro 44.51 (roughly $48) million; while Croatian Investments in India are Euro 5.55 (roughly $6) million.
The Indian community in Croatia has changed over the last three years due to the demographic situation in Croatia, where a lot of foreign workers are being employed to carry out work in different sectors of the economy.
Approximately 17,000 Indians were residing in Croatia in December. Many of the Indian workers are working on short to medium-term contracts and therefore at least, 90 per cent of the people currently residing are those who form a part of the mobile population staying in Croatia for a specific contractual period.
