Croatia–India relations
Croatia |
India |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Croatia in New Delhi | Embassy of India in Zagreb |
| Envoy | |
| Ambassador Petar Ljubičić | Ambassador Arun Goel |
Croatia and India officially established diplomatic relations on 9 July 1992 following the independence of Croatia.[1] Croatia is represented in India through its embassy in New Delhi and two consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata.[1] India is represented in Croatia through its embassy in Zagreb.[2] Relations are warm and friendly with strengthening bilateral collaboration.[3]
History
Romani people were mentioned for the first time in the Republic of Ragusa in 1362 in some commercial records.[4][5] Genetic findings in 2012 suggest the Romani people in Croatia originated in northwestern India and migrated to Europe as a group.[6][7] Sushma Swaraj, Indian Minister of External Affairs, stated that the people of the Roma community in Croatia were to be recognized a part of the Indian diaspora.[8]
Modern relations
In the first Indian diplomatic visit since Croatian independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met extensively with the Croatian government in 2025.[9] This was the first visit of an Indian prime minister to Southeast Europe in nearly 60 years, since Indira Gandhi visited the region in 1967.[10] Meeting with both Croatian President Zoran Milanović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, Modi emphasized Croatia's role as the Indian "gateway" to the region and their advocacy for Indian interests within the European Union.[11] The Indian embassy in Zagreb was vandalized by Sikh separatists in 2026, part of a broader targeting of diplomatic missions across Europe.[12]
Military collaboration
The Croatian Armed Forces are part of the United Nations mediation of the India–Pakistan dispute in Kashmir and have deployed military personnel in both India and Pakistan since 2002.[13] The Indian government announced increased investment into their joint defense industrial base in 2025.[14]
Economic activity
The Croatian government reported $242 million in trade with India in 2025, a 10% increase from the year prior.[3]
Bilateral agreements
The two nations have entered into a wide variety of bilateral agreements since the mid-1990s, focused on foreign investment, cultural understanding, education, and counterterrorism.[15]
Agreements
- Trade and Economic Cooperation Agreement (1994)
- Maritime Transport Agreement (1997)
- Cooperation in the field of Culture, Science and Technology, Education and Sports (1999)
- Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Croatia and the Foreign Service Institute (2000)
- Air Services Agreement (2000)
- Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (2001)
- Cooperation in the Fight against International Illicit Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs, Terrorism (2001)
- Agreement on Agricultural Cooperation (2002)
- Agreement on exemption of visa requirement for Diplomatic Passports (2007)
- Cooperation in Health and Medicine (2010)
- Avoidance of Double Taxation and for the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion (2014)
Memorandums
- Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the EXIM Bank of India (2000)
- Export Credit & Guarantee Corporation of India and Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (2002)
- Cooperation in Information Technology (2004)
- Exchange Programme in the field of Culture for 2005–07 (2005)
- Programme of Cooperation in Science and Technology for 2005–08 (2005)
- Educational Exchange Programme (2006)
- Programme of Cooperation in the field of Culture for 2010–12 (2010)
- University of Zagreb establishment of ICCR Chair of Hindi for 2012–2019 (2012)
Diplomatic missions
See also
Notes
- ^ a b "MVEP • Diplomatic Missions and Consular Offices of Croatia • India, Kolkata". mvep.hr. Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Republic of Croatia. Archived from the original on 24 April 2016.
- ^ "MVEP • Diplomatic Missions and Consular Offices to Croatia • India, Zagreb". mvep.hr.
- ^ a b d.o.o, Globaldizajn. "Prime Minister Modi in Zagreb: Relations between Croatia and India are on the rise". vlada.gov.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Ured vlade za nacionalne manjine-Obilježja Roma u RH". Archived from the original on 16 February 2013. Retrieved 9 March 2013.
- ^ "5 Intriguing Facts About the Roma". Live Science. 23 October 2013.
- ^ Mendizabal, Isabel (6 December 2012). "Reconstructing the Population History of European Romani from Genome-wide Data". Current Biology. 22 (24): 2342–2349. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2012.10.039. hdl:10230/25348. PMID 23219723.
- ^ Sindya N. Bhanoo (11 December 2012). "Genomic Study Traces Roma to Northern India". New York Times.
- ^ "Can Romas be part of Indian diaspora?". khaleejtimes.com. 29 February 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
- ^ Kuzmanovic, Jasmina (22 July 2025). "Modi's Visit Sparks Indian Bids For Croatia's Infrastructure". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 22 July 2025.
- ^ Bhattacherjee, Kallol (9 June 2025). "PM Modi to visit Cyprus, Croatia during his trip to Canada". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "PM Narendra Modi thanks Croatia PM Plenkovic upon receiving reprint of first printed Sanskrit grammar". The Economic Times. 19 June 2025. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ Laskar, Rezaul (22 January 2026). "India condemns vandalisation of national flag by Khalistanis at embassy in Croatia". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
- ^ "Annual report on the implementation of the Implementation Program of the Ministry of Defense 2021–2024 for the year 2023" (PDF). Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ Bhattacherjee, Kallol (18 June 2025). "India and Croatia to make long term plans for defence cooperation: PM Modi". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
- ^ "Welcome to Embassy of India, Zagreb (Croatia)". www.indianembassy.hr. Archived from the original on 4 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.