PM Modi In Croatia: Zagreb Backs Indias Fight Against Terrorism; Bilateral Relations, Trade Take Centerstage
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic held wide-ranging talks in Zagreb where the two leaders discussed not only the Middle East conflict but also the Pahalgam terror attack. While Croatia backed India in its fight against terrorism, both leaders called for dialogue and diplomacy across the globe to resolve conflicts.
"We both support the fact that whether it is Europe or Asia, the problems cannot be solved through the battlefield and that the only way is through dialogue and diplomacy. Respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of any country is essential," said PM Modi while delivering a joint statement.
PM Modi further said that the Croatian companies will be able to take advantage of India's IT manpower. They also discussed ways to promote tourism between the two countries.
"We agree that terrorism is the enemy of humanity and is against the forces that believe in democracy. We are deeply grateful to the Prime Minister and the Croatian Government 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," said PM Modi.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said that he discussed the Pahalgam terrorist attack with PM Modi and expressed sorrow over it. "We have understood very well the Indian Prime Minister's message on fighting against terrorism because that is the biggest threat to global stability..." said Plenkovic.
PM Modi said that the two leaders agree that the India-Europe partnership holds great importance in today's global environment. Croatia's support and cooperation are very important in strengthening our strategic partnership with the EU, said the Indian PM.
"There are also ample opportunities for Croatian companies in the port modernisation, coastal zone development and multi-modal connectivity being carried out under India's Sagarmala Project. We have emphasised joint research and collaboration between our academic institutions and centres. India will share its space experience with Croatia....The mobility agreement will be completed soon to facilitate the movement of people," said PM Modi.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi added that India and Croatia have decided to speed up bilateral relations three times in the third term. "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 will promote cooperation in many important areas like pharma, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, renewable energy," said PM Modi.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic hailed the efforts being made to finalize the trade deal between India and the EU. "We discussed India's efforts to conclude the free trade agreement with the European Union, which Croatia supports. We believe negotiations about the free trade agreement will finalise as soon as possible because that will strengthen a corporation and that will facilitate easier trade between Croatia and India," said PM Plenkovic.
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