Zagreb, June 19: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday thanked the Croatian government for its solidarity in the wake of the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and reiterated that terrorism is the enemy of humanity.
“We agree that terrorism is an enemy of humanity, and is opposed to everyone who believes in democratic forces. We are deeply grateful to the Prime Minister and the Government of Croatia for their expression of solidarity following the terrorist attack in India on April 22. In such difficult times, the support of our friends holds immense value for us,” the Prime Minister said during his address in Zagreb.
This marks the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia.
“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Government of Croatia for the warmth, enthusiasm, and affection with which I have been received in the historic and beautiful city of Zagreb,” he said, calling it a “fortunate opportunity.”
Modi underlined the democratic values shared by India and Croatia, including pluralism, equality, and rule of law.
“It is a happy coincidence that last year, the people of India entrusted me—and the people of Croatia entrusted Prime Minister Andrej Plenković—with a third consecutive term in office. With this renewed public mandate, we are committed to tripling the momentum of our bilateral relations during this term,” he added.
He announced the formulation of a Defence Cooperation Plan for long-term engagement in training, military exchanges, and defence industry collaboration. The two sides also agreed to strengthen trade ties, boost economic resilience, and build reliable supply chains.
“We will promote cooperation in many important areas such as pharma, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, renewable energy, and semiconductors.”
He added that Indian expertise in space technology would be shared with Croatia, and new academic research partnerships would be fostered.
India invited Croatian companies to participate in major infrastructure projects, particularly under the Sagarmala initiative, which focuses on port modernization and multimodal connectivity.
“We will strengthen cooperation in shipbuilding and cybersecurity as well,” he said.
The PM celebrated the historical cultural links between the two nations, highlighting the contribution of Ivan Filip Vezdin in introducing Sanskrit grammar to Europe in the 18th century. He lauded the Department of Indology at the University of Zagreb and confirmed that the Hindi Chair MoU has been extended till 2030.
“Today, we have resolved to further strengthen our cultural and people-to-people ties,” he said, also announcing a five-year Cultural Exchange Programme.
He emphasized the finalization of a Mobility Agreement to ease skilled workforce exchange and promote tourism between the two countries.
“Croatian companies will be able to benefit from India’s skilled IT manpower. We also discussed ways to enhance tourism,” he noted.
Modi also expressed joy over the growing popularity of Yoga in Croatia, ahead of International Day of Yoga on June 21.
“I have clearly experienced the popularity of Yoga here. I am confident that, as always, the people of Croatia will celebrate the occasion with great enthusiasm.”
The Prime Minister stressed that dialogue and diplomacy—not war—are the solutions to global challenges.
“We both firmly believe that whether in Europe or Asia, solutions cannot be found on the battlefield. Dialogue and diplomacy is the only viable path forward. It is essential to respect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of every nation,” he asserted.
Calling his visit to Banski Dvori a moment of pride, the PM reflected on the role of language and shared heritage.
“Being here today at ‘Banski Dvori’ is a special moment for me. It is in this very place that Sakcinski delivered his historic speech in the Croatian language. Today, I feel a sense of pride and contentment in expressing my thoughts in Hindi. He rightly said, ‘Language is a bridge,’ and today, we are strengthening that bridge.”
He concluded by inviting the Croatian Prime Minister to visit India soon.
“Once again, I express my heartfelt gratitude to the Prime Minister for the warm and gracious hospitality extended to us during our visit to Croatia. Prime Minister, I also look forward to welcoming you to India soon.”
