ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Croatia have agreed to strengthen their political and economic ties, as affirmed during a recent meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Croatian Foreign Minister Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman. The discussions, held in Islamabad, aimed at injecting greater momentum into the bilateral relations of the two nations.

According to Radio Pakistan, both leaders announced their commitment to promoting cooperation in various sectors such as trade, investment, agriculture, labor mobility, visa facilitation, education, defense, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, IT, and seaport collaboration during a joint press conference. The two sides have also decided to activate the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral political consultations between their foreign ministries and to conduct these consultations on a regular basis.

Deputy Prime Minister Dar extended an invitation to the Croatian side to take advantage of Pakistan’s favorable investment policies and highlighted the potential of Karachi Port for collaborative arrangements between the ports of the two countries. He also mentioned the ongoing efforts to facilitate the opening of a Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad, which he emphasized would ease the process for Pakistani applicants.

Furthermore, both parties agreed to explore legal pathways for the employment of Pakistan’s skilled workforce in Croatia. The Croatian Foreign Minister expressed his country’s appreciation for the diplomatic efforts of Pakistan, particularly acknowledging the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding aimed at resolving the conflict between the US and Iran. He also highlighted Croatia’s support for women’s participation in UN peacekeeping missions, welcoming Pakistan’s female police officers to participate in UN-certified pre-deployment training programs in Croatia.