Zagreb (Croatia), June 17, 2025 (ANI): Amassador of India to Croatia Arun Goel in an exclusive interview with ANI highlights Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Croatia, following his participation in the G7 Summit, marks a significant step in India’s effort to deepen its ties with the European Union and strengthen strategic partnerships. He said, “This number of 8 million Croatians is a very close-knit proud community. So they look this first visit by an Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi not merely as India’s Prime Minister but a global leader because they consider modi ji as a global leader, who in the present time is considered by them as a pillar to bring about global peace. So visit by honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi is putting Croatia on a global map in a very different aspect…” Following Operation Sindoor against terrorists in Pakistan considering recent Pahalgam attack that left 26 innocent people dead, India approached several countries through it's various delegations in fight against terrorism. Amassador of India to Croatia Arun Goel emphasized on Croatia's significant role in strengthening fight against terrorism. He said, “Croatia itself experienced terrorism, fundamentalism, extremism. When the Pahalgam episode happened, they were shocked. I have got messages from numbers of Croatians on my personal phone. They expressed Solidarity with us and thereafter India’s measured and extreme response through Operation Sindoor was appreciated by all Croatians…”
00:00Rejnishji, to understand this, let's go slightly into the history.
00:06Croatia for the first time became a nation in 925 AD under King Tomislav.
00:14Thereafter, Croatia became a nation in modern shape in 1991.
00:19That's after more than 1,050 years.
00:22Currently, there is a population of about 3.8 million in Croatia
00:27and there are about 4 million Croatians outside Croatia living in, say,
00:32U.S., Australia, Germany, and so on and so forth.
00:34So this number of about 8 million Croatians is a very close-knit, proud community.
00:43So they look at this first visit by Indian Prime Minister Srinivas Narendra Modi ji,
00:51not merely as India's Prime Minister, but visit by a global leader
00:55because they consider Srinivas Narendra Modi ji as a global leader
01:00who in the present unstable times, present unstable times,
01:06is considered by them as a pillar to bring about global peace.
01:11So certainly they feel visit by Honorable Prime Minister Srinivas Narendra Modi
01:16is putting Croatia on a global map in a very different respect.
01:23So it's a proud moment for them and they are eagerly and enthusiastically waiting for this trip.
01:29As PM is visiting here, this is the first time,
01:36so how this relation is going to boost after this relation, this visit,
01:41as well as if we see the current engagement in terms of free trade agreement with EU nations,
01:50so how PSE or ProSE is going to play a major role in it?
01:53I think, Nishji, if we look at the current trade numbers between India and Croatia,
02:00although it is growing year to year,
02:03as of today the Croatian exports are something like 27 billion
02:07and they are exporting to India just 70 million dollars, which is 0.26 percent.
02:16Croatia is importing goodness services worth 47 billion dollars
02:21and they are importing from India just 380 million, which is 0.67 percent.
02:29So the scope of growth in trade in both directions between India and Croatia is immense.
02:41Now if we look at the EU, currently, as you know,
02:45India is the fourth largest economy in the world and very soon will be the third.
02:50So that is possible only if our exports increase manifold and in that EU is crucial to us.
03:02So already Indian EU FTA is being negotiated.
03:07Croatia is a member of EU since 2013 and member of Eurozone and Schengen since 2023.
03:14So this visit will help us find a partner through whom we'll be able to find a more balanced and favorable FTA with EU.
03:30How many kinds of engagements, key engagements are there in this visit as well as how many kinds of MOUs to be signed?
03:41This official visit by Honorable Prime Minister of India has all the engagement which are normally there in any official visit.
03:49There are bilateral discussions, there are one-to-one discussions with both the President of Croatia and the Prime Minister of Croatia.
03:58There is a visit to Homeland Memorial.
04:04There is a walk in the city for having connected with the people.
04:08So all those aspects are being covered.
04:13This being the first visit by Indian Prime Minister is going to put the bilateral relationship in a different trajectory.
04:23And in the decades to come, many new areas will emerge, which probably we can't foresee today.
04:30However, specifically, during this visit, four agreements are being signed.
04:37One is the agreement on agriculture and allied activities, wherein as many as 30 areas of cooperation have been identified.
04:46Where, in the times to come, we'll identify specific activities, projects, which will lead to exchange of scientific materials, information and personnel.
04:56Then a program of cooperation in science and technology is being signed, where both the countries in all the areas of science and technology will identify joint projects, undertake joint research projects.
05:14There will be exchange of knowledge, information, personnel, which will lead to joint successes, I'm sure, in the emerging areas of technology, whether it's AI or ICT or pharmacology or oceanography,
05:34because they have a coastline of 1,777 kilometers, we have 7,500 kilometers of coastline.
05:42So the maritime areas search is going to happen.
05:46Then cultural exchange program is being extended for five more years, where we are going to witness exchange in all major fields, like music, dance, theater, cultural heritage,
05:57museums, archaeology, documentation, audiovisuals, festivals, so on and so forth, and then extension of the already going on Hindi chair in the University of Zagreb.
06:09That's going to happen.
06:11In what ways can Croatia support India's Indo-Pacific strategy, considering position as an EU as well as a NATO member?
06:20Now, see, Indo-Pacific, if we look at security is one of the areas, but then there are various other areas when we look at the whole region in terms of its prosperity.
06:34Currently, it's a scenario of single choice.
06:38Single choice leads to less options and dependability.
06:43India is going to offer various options in different domains, for example, in space-based applications, in telecom, in digital interfaces and infrastructure, and health care centers.
07:03So in these areas, for the entire growth of Indo-Pacific, India offers an option.
07:09So Croatia, now, in the current unstable times, obviously, is looking at all the options on the global scenario.
07:21They are obviously looking at new partners.
07:24They have had some not-so-good experiences with some of the partners.
07:29So where India positions well, the people of Croatia have long-lasting relationship with the people of India.
07:39India, in terms of experiencing, enjoying, and loving Indian culture, Indian ethos, Indian spiritualism.
07:50So whatever the Croatian companies are working in India, they have had positive experience.
07:57They are looking for expansion, and vice versa.
07:59The Indian companies working in Croatia are also finding it positive.
08:04Indian migrant workers here are finding it positive.
08:07So I feel, whether on person-to-person base or organization-to-organization, there is a connectivity.
08:16And now this is going to take a big boost with the visit of the Honorable Prime Minister.
08:21And in that context, India offers multiple choices, beyond a single choice.
08:29That's how I look at the Indo-Pacific angle.
08:31I just said that Croatian people love Indians and India's culture.
08:38We see that there is yoga here.
08:41Sanskrit is also just taught in the Jagrabi University here.
08:45How this relationship will boost Dr. PM's visit?
08:48See, this relationship is going to get a big boost.
08:51But let's slightly look at the history of it, because things can't happen overnight.
08:58The connect between people of India and people of Croatia goes back more than 500 years.
09:05As early as 1530, 1540, from what you know, Dubrovnik, the Latin name of is Ragusa.
09:11So 12,000 people from Dubrovnik at that time settled in Goa and built a church in 1563 dedicated to show brass.
09:23That is the same place who is considered protector of Dubrovnik.
09:27Then, in the 18th century, Philip Vezdin, a Croatian, Camelite missionary, wrote the first printed Sanskrit grammar,
09:37which became one of the fundamental texts to establish a relationship between Indian language and the European language.
09:46That's where the Indo-European group comes.
09:49And thereafter, there have been many works.
09:51There have been connects, which has been constantly happening.
09:54Now, in the last many decades, a large number of Croatians have visited different parts of India,
10:03be it Rishikesh or Varanasi.
10:06They have interacted with different gurus, sects, and people have been going there regularly.
10:14As a result of that, today, at least 10,000 Croatians practice yoga every day
10:22through 250, approximately, yoga studios.
10:26And similarly, there are about 25 Ayurvedic studios in Croatia being operated by Croatians.
10:34These are not the Indians who are doing here, what I am telling you.
10:36It's very important.
10:37These are the Croatians.
10:38They are very high-end, very popular, plant-based restaurants.
10:44I visited one of those in the island of Brach in Bol.
10:47So these people love India, Indian cuisine, Indian culture, Indian ethos.
10:53So when you are here for a brief, if you go around the city,
10:57I'm sure you'll experience how people look towards you with love and affection.
11:02So that's what is the basis of our bonding,
11:05which I'm sure with the first visit of Indian Prime Minister
11:09is going to get a big boost in the decades to come.
11:13The bonding shows that how Indian diaspora is here,
11:16residing here and doing well in different sectors.
11:21So how this relation in terms of Indian diaspora
11:25is going to be just enhanced after this visit?
11:30Rajneeshji, till about three years ago,
11:32we had less than 100 Indians in Croatia.
11:37In the last three years, because of the demographic complementarity,
11:43a number of Indian workers have come here.
11:47They are very happy to be here.
11:49They feel absolutely safe to be here.
11:51That's very important.
11:53And Croatians consider Indians as hardworking, skilled, reliable people,
11:58peace-loving people who are adding to their economy.
12:01And they are looking towards more and more Indian workers coming here
12:05in the days to come as their economy grows.
12:09So this is the contribution of Indians in the Croatian economy.
12:16And they love Indians.
12:17That's extremely important what you see.
12:19Anywhere you see, the Indian workers,
12:20they never come to me with a complaint.
12:23They always say they're very happy.
12:26Wherever they go, they feel at home.
12:27And they are asking their friends to come here.
12:31One thing that is very crucial and important,
12:35as PM is just visiting here tomorrow.
12:39So there is a case in Pahalgam that happened last month.
12:47When we saw that 26 innocent people were killed by terrorists,
12:50that is the handy folk of Pakistan from where this was done.
12:58After that, India launched Operation Sindur.
13:03Later on, Indian delegation went to several countries
13:07and talked about India's role, India's fight against terrorism.
13:12How this visit of India's PM in Croatia
13:16and Croatia's support in fight against terrorism will be significant.
