India – Croatia’s Bilateral Relations
Mr. Branimir Farkaš
Political Counsellor, Embassy of Croatia in India
The official visit by H.E. PM of India Shri Narendra Modi to Croatia on June 18th, marked a peak in relations between our two countries. It was historic as it was a first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, after visits by the respective presidents in 2002 and 2019. Both India and Croatia, the world’s biggest and one of the world’s newest democracies, are clearly and steadily on the path of democracy, free trade, multilateralism and global cooperation. Now we feel is the right time to boost our cooperation and trade.
Croatia renewed harbour ‘Rijeka Getaway’ is a perfect landing spot for India’s IMEEC route to Middle and Eastern Europe. New roads were made to connect Rijeka Getaway to the North, West and East. Croatia is a co-founder, together with Poland, of ‘Three Seas Initiative’ that connects the Baltic, Adriatic and Red Sea, across 13 states comprising an area of 1/3 of the EU population. The Initiative is supported by US as a way to diversify and facilitate EU’s energy, trade and infrastructure projects. IMEEC and 3SI seem like a perfect match. We would very much like to see PM Modi taking part for the first time in the Three
Seas Initiative summit to take place next year, during Croatia’s presidency.
one of the biggest buyers. Croatia has experience in submarines technology, has competent shipyards, and builds military
marine vessels. Its Đuro Đaković plant builds tanks and combat vehicles. It’s HS Product from Karlovac is one of the leading
European manufacturers of firearms and assault rifles, supplying amongst others US police and civil guard. Shipyards in Split and Rijeka are building special container ships too. It is less known that ‘Infobip’, an IT Company with its branch in Mumbai, listed on London SE, is a Croatian company. Croatian ‘ALTPRO’ in a joint venture with an Indian company is holding a big chunk of the Railway signalisations and automation market. During PM Modi’s visit an MOU was signed to boost Science and Technology exchange and development that include IT, cyber security and space satellite technology and launch.
Croatia is strong in food processing, with its ‘Podravka’ being a leading company in South East Europe, so the MOU in agricultural cooperation has been extended and companies encouraged towards investing in India.
University hosts one of the oldest Indology studies in Europe. Since 1956, the Croatian language is being taught at Delhi
University and an agreement was signed between Universities and respective Ministries of Education to start Hindi language
lectures in Zagreb. It has been a great year for Indo-Croatian relationship and the only way is up.