MoUs signed for Agri-Science-Tech cooperations
Prime Ministers of India and Croatia have agreed to expand cooperation in ports and shipping domains given the long maritime traditions of both countries.
This was among the lead discussions during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s official visit to Croatia on 18 June, and meeting with Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.
Both leaders agreed to further explore the potential of Croatia serving as a Mediterranean gateway to Central Europe.
In this context, the leaders also reaffirmed full respect for international law of the sea as reflected in UNCLOS, and for the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and freedom of navigation, to the benefit of maritime security and international peace and stability.
Further, they had a comprehensive exchange of views with on further advancing bilateral relations, India-EU strategic partnership and cooperation in multilateral fora.
Both agreed that India and Croatia enjoy close and friendly relations, rooted in shared values of democracy, rule of law, pluralism and equality.
The visit of Prime Minister Modi has injected a fresh impetus into the bilateral partnership, highlighting the complementarities of the two economies, particularly in the areas of tourism, trade and technology, the Prime Minister’s Office said on 19 June.
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the signing of: (i) MoU on Agricultural Cooperation; (ii) Programme of Cooperation in Science and Technology; (iii) Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP); and (iv) MoU to establish a Hindi Chair at the University of Zagreb.
The two leaders noted the importance of improving connectivity, including through the India–Middle East–Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) initiative.
In the area of science, technology and innovation, the two Prime Ministers highlighted the importance of connecting scientific institutions and universities of both countries for joint research and development.
Both sides expressed their willingness to facilitate exchanges of young researchers for long-term research collaborations and encouraged networking within the scientific community to share best practices and develop applied technologies.
The two Prime Ministers noted the signing of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation and agreed to advancing defence ties. Further emphasis will be placed on seeking opportunities for cooperation between national defence industries through collaboration and regular interactions.
Digital technology was recognised as another key area for cooperation. Croatian and Indian scientific ecosystems could benefit from strategic collaborations between incubation centres and start-ups working in sectors such as Healthcare-tech, Agri-tech, Clean-tech, Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning and Cybersecurity. The two Prime Ministers agreed on the need for strengthening India-Croatia Start-up Bridge in order to foster innovation and collaboration amongst start-ups.
While acknowledging the strong cultural exchange, both sides underscored the importance of deepening engagement in the cultural sector during the period 2026-2030. They recognised culture as a powerful tool for strengthening people-to-people ties between the two countries.
They recognised the importance of skills development and the mobility of personnel in supporting expanded engagement across various sectors of bilateral cooperation, and agreed on the speedy conclusion of a memorandum of understanding on workforce mobility between the two countries.
The two leaders welcomed the renewed momentum in the strategic partnership between India and the EU, two of the largest democracies, open market economies, and pluralistic societies. They underscored the importance of concluding a mutually beneficial India-EU FTA within the course of the year, as agreed during the historic visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025. Fiinews.com
