PM Modi emplanes for India after concluding his three-nation tour

ZAGREB: Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Croatia on Thursday, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

He was on a three-nation tour. His first stop was Cyprus, followed by Canada, where he attended the G7 Summit, and then Croatia, making it the first visit by an Indian PM to the European Nation.

During his visit, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by the people and Government of Croatia. He expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and highlighted the visit’s significance in ushering in a new chapter in the shared journey of friendship and extensive cooperation between India and Croatia.

“Grateful to the people and Government of Croatia for the warm welcome during what has been a truly landmark visit. This visit ushers in a new chapter in our shared journey of friendship and extensive cooperation”, PM Modi posted on X.
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1935432767212224960
He shared his positive experience of visiting Zagreb, appreciating the city’s culture, people’s lifestyle, and warmth, feeling at home during his stay. “I am happy that I got the opportunity to come to this beautiful city of Zagreb. Even though this visit is a small one, I got to experience the city’s culture, people’s lifestyle, and warmth. I felt at home…”, he said.

PM Modi noted that the visit marked an important milestone in bilateral relations, with many significant decisions made to strengthen India-Croatia ties. “Today was an important milestone in our bilateral relations. We made many important decisions that will strengthen India-Croatia relations and open new avenues for working together in many areas…,” he added.

His remarks came after a day of high-level engagements, including talks with his Croatian counterpart Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and a ceremonial welcome in the capital city of Zagreb, which he shared highlights of on Wednesday.

Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi posted a series of updates on his engagements during the visit. He wrote, “Grateful to my friend, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for the special gesture of showing me the city centre of the historical and culturally rich city of Zagreb.”

PM Modi also shared glimpses of the ceremonial reception accorded to him in Zagreb, saying, “Pictures from the ceremonial welcome in Zagreb, Croatia”.

Following his meeting with the Croatian Prime Minister, PM Modi said the bilateral talks were comprehensive and spanned multiple sectors. He posted, “Held productive talks with my friend, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb. Our talks covered many sectors, aimed at making the India-Croatia bond even stronger. We will be working closely in the fields of defence and security, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT, renewable energy, technology and more. Synergies in areas like semiconductors, shipbuilding, connectivity and more will also be greatly beneficial”.

Building on this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India and Croatia will promote cooperation in several areas including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and information technology. He added that a Defence Cooperation Plan will also be formulated for long-term collaboration in the defence sector.

In a joint press statement with Croatia PM Andrej Plenkovic after their delegation-level talks, PM Modi said the two countries have emphasised joint research and collaboration between their academic institutions and India will share its space experience with Croatia.

PM Modi reached Croatia earlier in the day in the last leg of his three-nation visit. “We have decided to speed up our bilateral relations three times in our 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. There are many areas where our economies can complement each other. These areas have been identified”, he said.

“We have decided to increase cooperation in many areas to increase bilateral trade and create a reliable supply chain. We will promote cooperation in many important areas like pharma, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, renewable energy”, he added.

The Prime Minister said 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. Our centuries-old cultural relations are the root of mutual affection and goodwill… Today, we have decided to give more strength to our cultural and people-to-people relations. The duration of the MoU of Hindi Chair in Zagreb University has been extended till 2030. A cultural exchange program has been prepared for the next five years. The mobility agreement will be completed soon to facilitate the movement of people,” he said.

PM Modi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Croatian Prime Minister and the Croatian government for the enthusiasm, warmth and affection with which he has been welcomed.

“This is the first visit of any Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, and I have had the good fortune of it. India and Croatia are connected by common values like democracy, rule of law, pluralism and quality. It is a happy coincidence that last year the people of India have given me and the people of Croatia have given the opportunity to Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic to serve for the third consecutive time,” he said.

The Prime Minister was earlier accorded ceremonial welcome on his arrival in Croatia. (ANI)