Commerce Secretary Shri Sunil Barthwal, Government of India, visited the Republic of Croatia from 22–23 April 2025 to strengthen bilateral trade, investment, and sectoral cooperation. During his visit, he held high-level meetings with Mr. Zdenko Lucić, State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development (Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs), and Mr. Ivo Milatić, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economy.

In his meeting with Mr. Zdenko Lucić, discussions focused on advancing the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and deepening bilateral trade relations. Shri Barthwal noted the historic visit of the EU President and 27 Commissioners to India—the first of its kind outside the European continent—highlighting renewed momentum in EU-India ties.

Key areas identified for collaboration included railways, global capability centres, electric vehicles, information technology, and defence manufacturing. The Croatian delegation expressed interest in investments in India’s defence sector, solar cell production, food processing technologies, automobile components, and knowledge-sharing initiatives.

In a separate meeting with Mr. Ivo Milatić, State Secretary, Ministry of Economy, both sides explored ways to enhance investment flows and foster cooperation across strategic sectors. Areas of discussion included healthcare, education, tourism, entertainment (with reference to the WAVES summit), logistics, supply chains, pharmaceuticals, digital technology, renewable energy, and manufacturing.

The leaders also exchanged views on revitalising the Joint Commission on Economic Cooperation, which is due for its third session. They discussed the need for more frequent meetings and deeper engagement between Indian and Croatian businesses to accelerate progress.

Shri Barthwal participated in a business interaction event titled “Exploring Economic Cooperation Opportunities between India and Croatia”, hosted by the Croatian Chamber of Economy (CCE). The event brought together leading Croatian industry associations and business leaders, offering a platform to explore trade facilitation, investment opportunities, and collaborative ventures.

The visit reinforced India’s commitment to building stronger economic partnerships within Central Europe and expanded the scope of commercial collaboration with Croatia. The high-level discussions, business engagements, and institutional dialogue underscored a shared commitment to enhancing trade, investment, and innovation-led cooperation between the two countries.