Islamabad: Pakistan and Croatia have committed to enhancing their political and economic relations through a series of strategic initiatives. This decision was reached during a meeting between Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Croatian Foreign Minister Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman in Islamabad.
According to Radio Pakistan, the leaders addressed the media in a joint press stakeout, announcing their agreement to boost cooperation across a variety of sectors including trade, investment, agriculture, labor mobility, visa facilitation, education, defense, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, IT, and seaport collaboration. Both sides committed to operationalizing the memorandum of understanding on bilateral political consultations between their foreign ministries, with regular consultations planned to ensure sustained dialogue and collaboration.
Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar emphasized the importance of revitalizing bilateral trade and economic relations, highlighting the potential for business-to-business exchanges. He extended an invitation to Croatia to take advantage of Pakistan's favorable investment climate and briefed the Croatian delegation on the strategic advantages of Karachi Port, suggesting potential collaborative efforts between the ports of the two nations.
Furthermore, efforts are underway to establish a Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad, which will ease the application process for Pakistani citizens by eliminating the need to travel to a third country for visa acquisition. Both countries have also agreed to explore legal pathways for employing Pakistan's skilled workforce in Croatia.
Croatian Foreign Minister Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman expressed his country's appreciation for the bilateral relationship, emphasizing the significance of people-to-people contacts and the plan to enable Pakistani citizens to submit visa applications within Pakistan. He acknowledged the strong foundation of friendship and mutual respect between the two nations and expressed optimism about the strengthening of ties following this visit.
Additionally, Dr. Radman lauded Pakistan's diplomatic efforts in facilitating the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, which aimed to resolve tensions between the US and Iran. He also reiterated Croatia's support for the involvement of women in UN peacekeeping missions and welcomed the participation of Pakistani female police officers in Croatia's UN-certified pre-deployment training programs.