PM Modi meets Croatian President Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb, discusses India-Croatia friendship

Zagreb, June 19
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday, met Croatian President Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb and held extensive discussions over deepening the friendly ties between India and Croatia, including the ways to boost commerce and culture, the Ministry of External affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.



"Met Zoran Milanovic, the President of Croatia. Had extensive discussions on the full range of India-Croatia friendship, including ways to boost linkages of commerce and culture," PM Modi said in a post on social media platform X.

"PM @narendramodi held talks with President Zoran Milanovic in Zagreb, Croatia. The leaders reaffirmed their resolve to deepen India-Croatia relations in sectors such as trade, culture and more," the Prime Minister's Office said in a post on X.

The two leaders held discussions on various aspects of bilateral relations, the MEA statement said.

They reiterated their commitment to close and friendly ties between the two countries, based on shared values of democracy, rule of law and shared goal of international peace and stability, the statement noted.

Both the leaders expressed satisfaction at the diversification of bilateral cooperation in newer areas such as defence, start-up, sports and innovation, the statement said.

Prime Minister Modi thanked President Milanovic for Croatia's strong support and solidarity extended to India in its fight against terrorism.

The leaders also discussed close cultural linkages dating back many centuries which bind the two countries.

They also discussed regional and global issues of mutual interest.

They noted that India-EU strategic partnership has deepened in recent times, and this would add value to India-Croatia relations in several ways.

The two leaders agreed to work together to unlock the full potential of India-Croatia ties, the MEA in the statement said.

Earlier, PM Modi, on Wednesday, met with his Croatian counterpart Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb during his historic visit to the country -- the first by an Indian Prime Minister, marking a significant milestone in the historical ties between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a press statement.

Upon his arrival at the historic Banski Dvori Palace here, Prime Minister Modi was received by PM Plenkovic and accorded a ceremonial welcome, the MEA said in the statement.

Earlier in the day, in a special and warm gesture, PM Modi was welcomed by Prime Minister Plenkovic when he arrived at the airport in Zagreb, the Ministry noted in the statement.

The two leaders also held high-level delegation talks where they engaged in wide-ranging discussions on various aspects of the bilateral partnership, including trade and investment, science and technology, defence and security, space, cultural cooperation, and people-to-people ties, the statement said.