The President of India recently embarked on a tour to three nations: Croatia, Bolivia, and Chile. The first stop was Croatia, where he held fruitful discussions with key Croatian leaders. Strategic partnerships were forged, and the President was awarded the country’s highest civilian honor.
Presidential Meetings and Outcomes
The Indian President met with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. The outcomes of these interactions were noteworthy. India and Croatia signed four Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) encompassing two in culture, one each in tourism, and sports. Additionally, the Indian President was bestowed with the Grand Order of the King of Tomislav, Croatia’s highest civilian award. The two nations pledged to collaboratively work towards building a strong global response to defeat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
Historical Overview of India-Croatia Relations
India and Croatia have enjoyed amicable relations since Yugoslavia’s heyday. Yugoslavia, which broke up due to political conflicts and upheavals in the early 1990s, gave rise to six nations including Croatia. Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavia’s president for over three decades, maintained close ties with India’s leadership. Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian Prime Minister, and Tito were among the Non-Aligned Movement’s pioneers.
The Non-Aligned Movement
The Non-Aligned Movement was established during the Cold War as an alliance of states that chose to remain neutral or independent, not formally aligning with either superpower blocs – United States or the Soviet Union. Its founding fathers included prominent leaders: Gamal Abdel Nasser from Egypt, Ghana’s President Kwame Nkrumah, Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Indonesian President Ahmed Sukarno, and Yugoslavia’s Josip Broz Tito. The movement’s basic concept was born during the 1955 Asia-Africa Bandung Conference held in Indonesia.
Croatia’s Geo-Strategic Importance
Croatia is geo-strategically significant, being a central European country with membership in the European Union and NATO. Its Adriatic coastline makes it a crucial gateway to Europe.
| Year | Bilateral Trade (in USD) |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 200 million |
India-Croatian Relations: A Closer Examination
The relationship between India and Croatia is marked by historical connections dating back to the 16th century. Croatians hold a deep interest in India, evident from the six-decade-old Indology department at the University of Zagreb and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) established a decade ago. Bilateral trade, while modest at around 200 million US Dollars in 2017, holds potential for growth in sectors such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, engineering goods, and food processing. Croatia’s scientific and technological base offers opportunities in sectors such as shipbuilding, vaccines, renewable energy, and defense.