ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and Croatia have agreed to take concrete steps to strengthen their political, economic, and bilateral relations.
The understanding was reached at a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and Croatian Foreign Minister Dr. Gordan Grlic Radman in Islamabad on Thursday.
Addressing a joint press stakeout after the meeting, Ishaq Dar said both countries agreed to expand cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, agriculture, labour mobility, visa facilitation, education, defence, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, information technology, and seaport collaboration.
He said the two sides also agreed to operationalise the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on bilateral political consultations between their foreign ministries by holding regular consultations. They further decided to revitalise trade and economic ties, including by encouraging greater business-to-business (B2B) engagement.
Video remarks by the Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 and the Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia H.E. Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman during Joint Press Stakeout (09 July… pic.twitter.com/sHEgB5EtMb
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 9, 2026
Highlighting Pakistan’s investment potential, Ishaq Dar invited Croatian businesses to take advantage of the country’s investor-friendly policies.
He also briefed the Croatian delegation on the capacity and connectivity of Karachi Port, with both sides exploring opportunities for cooperation between the ports of the two countries.
The Deputy Prime Minister said efforts are underway to expedite the establishment of a Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad. He noted that the facility would significantly ease the visa application process for Pakistani citizens by eliminating the need to travel to a third country.
He added that both countries agreed to continue working on legal pathways for the employment of Pakistan’s skilled workforce in Croatia.
Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar @MIshaqDar50 received H.E. Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman @grlicradman , Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, and the Croatian delegation this morning.
Both sides discussed ways to… pic.twitter.com/5tA5ydj0u6
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) July 9, 2026
Speaking on the occasion, Croatian Foreign Minister Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman said Croatia highly values people-to-people exchanges and is committed to enabling Pakistani citizens to submit Croatian visa applications within Pakistan.
Describing bilateral relations as being founded on friendship and mutual respect, he expressed confidence that his visit would further deepen cooperation between the two countries.
Also Read: Croatia Praises Pakistan’s Regional Peace Role, Seeks Stronger Ties
The Croatian Foreign Minister also appreciated Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts that led to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding aimed at ending the conflict between the United States and Iran.
He further noted Croatia’s strong support for the participation of women in United Nations peacekeeping missions and announced that Croatia would welcome Pakistani female police officers to its UN-certified pre-deployment training programmes.
Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, H.E Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman calls on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. Islamabad, 9 July 2026. pic.twitter.com/TOFWwlS2s5
— Prime Minister’s Office (@PakPMO) July 9, 2026
Croatia praises Pakistan’s regional peace role
Earlier Dr Gordan Grlić Radman called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad and praised Pakistan’s prominent role in regional peace efforts as both countries expressed their desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in key areas of mutual interest.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warmly welcomed the Croatian foreign minister and his delegation to Pakistan, saying Islamabad enjoyed friendly relations with Zagreb based on cordiality, mutual respect and shared interests.
He said Pakistan wanted to further expand cooperation with Croatia, particularly in trade and investment, information technology, connectivity, agriculture, tourism and skilled manpower.
The prime minister also conveyed warm regards and good wishes to Croatian President Zoran Milanović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. He extended a cordial invitation to both leaders to undertake official visits to Pakistan at their convenience.
