Islamabad: Pakistan and Croatia on Thursday agreed to undertake concrete steps to “inject greater momentum” into their political and economic relations, expanding bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of mutual interests including trade, investment, infrastructure, and visa facilitation.
The agreement was reached during “warm, constructive, and comprehensive” delegation-level talks held between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar and the visiting Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Affairs, Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman here.
“We reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Croatia relations and agreed to undertake steps to inject greater momentum toward political and economic relations as well as to enhance our cooperation in all other areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, development, agriculture, labour mobility, visa facilitation, education, defence, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, IT, sea ports collaboration,” Deputy Prime Minister Dar said addressing a joint press stakeout here along with the visiting foreign minister.
This is the first-ever official visit by a Croatian foreign minister to Pakistan, marking a new chapter in the diplomatic history of the two countries.
Acknowledging that bilateral trade remained below its true potential, Deputy Prime Minister Dar said a rising trend in bilateral trade volume and stated that both sides agreed to revitalize economic ties, “including through encouraging B2B exchanges for common benefit.” Both sides considered plans to hold a future business-to-business (B2B) trade forum to connect the private sectors and business communities of both nations.
He said that the two sides decided to make the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral political consultations fully functional and that the first round of these consultations could be held either this year or early 2027.
The two leaders announced coordinated efforts to expedite the opening of a Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad as currently, Pakistani applicants have to travel to Iran for visa processing.
“We greatly value people-to-people links, and therefore, Croatia would like to enable Pakistani citizens to submit visa applications in Pakistan, so they don’t need to travel abroad to apply,” Foreign Minister Radman announced, confirming that Croatia looks forward to opening the facility soon.
Deputy Prime Minister Dar stressed the need for combating human smuggling and illegal migration, saying that providing safe, orderly, and regular channels for migration was vital to protect the rights and lives of migrants as well as dismantling the illegal model of smuggling networks.
Highlighting the strategic geographical positions of both nations, he briefed the Croatian delegation on the capacity, facilities, and connectivity of the Karachi Port, initiating discussions on collaborative arrangements between the maritime ports of both countries.
During the talks, Dar appraised the visiting delegation on the long-standing Jammu and Kashmir dispute and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, suggesting a reactivation of peace efforts at the upcoming UN General Assembly (UNGA 2026) in New York.
He also raised concerns regarding India’s unilateral action of holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance and sought support from the friendly countries to help bring an end to the weaponisation of water.
He also apprised the Croatian delegation of security challenges originating from terrorist networks like the TTP and BLA operating out of Afghanistan and stressed the need for the Afghan Taliban regime to abide by its international commitments and that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries, particularly Pakistan.
Both sides also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine, emphasizing the necessity of resolving international conflicts in line with international law.
The deputy prime minister said that Pakistan’s access to the EU GSP Plus scheme remained a cornerstone of Pakistan-European Union economic cooperation. As the new GSP Plus regulation is scheduled to enter into force on January 1, 2027, Pakistan has already initiated preparatory work for re-application in early 2027, he added.
In response, Foreign Minister Radman said that the GSP Plus served as a catalyst for Pakistan’s integration into the global economy.
He welcomed investment from Pakistani companies, highlighting that Croatia, given its excellent geopolitical position, has become an energy hub and was an open door to the European market. Mentioning the long-standing presence of Croatian companies in Pakistan, he expressed hope for an expanded market presence in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, IT, and tourism sectors.
“With nine strategic airports and six major maritime ports, Croatia can also be a gateway for international travel and trade,” he said and emphasised that Croatia’s railway links with Central Europe supported resilient transport, energy, and digital connectivity networks.
The two sides expressed strong convergence on major global issues, reaffirming their shared commitment to multilateralism, the UN Charter, and the peaceful settlement of disputes.
Foreign Minister Radman welcomed Pakistan’s active engagement in the UN Security Council and praised its recent diplomatic mediation.
“We particularly appreciate Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts that resulted in the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding to end the conflict between the United States and Iran,” he said.
Calling Islamabad the “city of peace and diplomacy” the Croatian foreign minister thanked DPM Dar for a warm welcome and hospitality, expressing hope that his visit would help intensify ties, enhance trade and investment, and explore new avenues of cooperation.
Foreign Minister Radman extended an official invitation to Deputy Prime Minister Dar to attend the upcoming Dubrovnik Forum in Croatia at the end of June next year.
