ISLAMABAD (special crosspondent) – The Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman, arrived in Islamabad on Thursday for an official one-day visit aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between the two nations.

Minister Radman Calls on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

During his visit, Minister Radman called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch were also present during the warm and cordial meeting. Welcoming the Croatian delegation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated that Pakistan enjoys friendly relations with Croatia, marked by mutual respect, cordiality, and shared interests. The Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s strong desire to expand bilateral cooperation, particularly through enhanced trade, investment, information technology, connectivity, agriculture, tourism, and the deployment of skilled manpower. He also extended a warm invitation to Croatian President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic to undertake official visits to Pakistan at their convenience.

Croatian Foreign Minister Expresses Desire for Enhanced Ties

Minister Radman thanked the Prime Minister for the warm reception, noting that it was an honor to visit Islamabad. He commended Pakistan and its leadership for playing a prominent role in regional peace efforts and reiterated his government’s desire to enhance ties across all areas of mutual interest.

Delegation-Level Talks Cover Wide Array of Sectors

Earlier in the day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar received Minister Radman and the accompanying Croatian delegation for comprehensive, delegation-level talks. According to official statements released by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the high-level discussions spanned a wide array of sectors, exploring avenues to enhance cooperation in trade, investment, agriculture, labor mobility, visa facilitation, education, defense, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, and information technology.

Maritime Connectivity and Regional Issues Discussed

A key highlight of the talks centered on maritime connectivity. Recognizing that regional stability and global economic integration rely heavily on connectivity, both sides discussed potential collaboration between Pakistani and Croatian ports. In addition to bilateral matters, the two dignitaries exchanged views on Pakistan-European Union cooperation alongside several pressing regional and global issues of mutual interest. To maintain the momentum of these discussions, Pakistan and Croatia have agreed to hold Bilateral Political Consultations later this year or in early 2027.