India, Croatia decide to firm up defence cooperation plan following PM talks

Zagreb: India and Croatia on Wednesday agreed to firm up a 'defence cooperation plan' and resolved to boost cooperation in several key sectors including trade, renewable energy and semiconductors following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic.

In his media statement, Modi said he and Plenkovic agreed that terrorism is the enemy of humanity and it is against forces that believe in democracy.

The prime minister arrived in Zargreb this morning from Canada in the third and final leg of his three-nation trip.

In their talks, the two prime ministers also agreed on the importance of improving connectivity, including through the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC).

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Croatia can serve as India’s gateway into Central and Southeastern Europe.

The two sides also decided to soon finalise a mobility agreement to facilitate the movement of people.

"We are deeply grateful to the Prime Minister and the Government of Croatia for their condolences on the terrorist attack in India on April 22. In such a difficult time, the support of our friendly countries was very valuable to us," Modi said.

"We both agree that the partnership between India and Europe is very important in today's global environment. Croatia's support and cooperation is very important in strengthening our strategic partnership with the EU," he said.

Modi said he and Plenkovic both "support the fact that whether it is Europe or Asia, the solution to problems does not come from the battlefield." "Dialogue and diplomacy are the only way. Respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any country is necessary," the prime minister said without elaborating.

The prime minister said a 'defence cooperation plan' will be made for long-term cooperation in the defence sector, which will focus on training and military exchange as well as defence industry.

"We have decided to enhance cooperation in many areas to increase bilateral trade and create reliable supply chains," Modi said.

"We will promote cooperation in many important areas such as pharma, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, renewable energy, semiconductors. Cooperation will be enhanced in shipbuilding and cyber security," he added.

In a social media post, Modi described his talks with Plenković as "productive".

"Our talks covered many sectors, aimed at making the India-Croatia bond even stronger," he said.

The MEA said the two prime ministers held discussions on various aspects of the bilateral partnership, including trade and investment, science and technology, defense and security, space, cultural cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

The two leaders agreed that there were significant opportunities for increased cooperation in sectors such as infrastructure, ports and shipping, digitalization, AI, renewable energy, pharma and tourism and hospitality, it said.

The MEA said the two leaders also discussed important regional and global issues of mutual interest.

"They exchanged views on reform of the United Nations and other international institutions, climate change action and threats posed by terrorism," it added.

PM Modi also held talks with President Zoran Milanović.

"The leaders reiterated their commitment to further strengthening India-Croatia ties across trade, technology and cultural cooperation and expressed their shared commitment to democratic values and global peace," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.