Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic official visit to Croatia on June 18, 2025, marked a significant milestone in the relationship between India and Croatia, being the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to the country.

During the visit, PM Modi and his Croatian counterpart, Andrej Plenkovic, underscored the growing momentum of high-level exchanges and reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral cooperation across diverse sectors.

According to a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two leaders placed special emphasis on the importance of connecting scientific institutions and universities from both nations to facilitate joint research and development.

They expressed a strong willingness to promote the exchange of young researchers for long-term collaborations, encouraging networking within the scientific community to share best practices and develop applied technologies.

The leaders also noted the significance of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation, agreeing to further advance defence ties.

Both sides highlighted the need to explore opportunities for cooperation between their national defence industries through collaborative projects and regular interactions. In the realm of digital technology, India and Croatia identified several promising areas for collaboration, particularly in fostering innovation and supporting start-up ecosystems.

The statement highlighted the potential benefits of strategic partnerships between incubation centres and start-ups in sectors such as healthcare technology, agricultural technology, clean technology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and cybersecurity. To this end, both Prime Ministers agreed on strengthening the India-Croatia Start-up Bridge to foster greater innovation and collaboration among start-ups from both countries.

Cultural cooperation was another key area of discussion, with both leaders acknowledging the robust cultural exchanges already in place. They agreed on the importance of deepening engagement in the cultural sector during the period 2026-2030, recognising culture as a powerful tool for enhancing people-to-people ties.

Additionally, the two sides recognised the importance of skills development and the mobility of personnel in supporting expanded engagement across various sectors. They agreed to expedite the conclusion of a memorandum of understanding on workforce mobility, which is expected to facilitate smoother movement of professionals and skilled workers between the two countries.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Croatia has set a forward-looking agenda for India-Croatia relations, focusing on joint research and development, defence cooperation, digital technology, start-up innovation, cultural exchange, and workforce mobility.

The visit is expected to catalyse new opportunities for collaboration, strengthen bilateral ties, and contribute to the mutual growth and prosperity of both nations.

Based On ANI Report