PM, President urge stronger Pakistan-Croatia cooperation in diverse fields

• PM Shehbaz seeks stronger cooperation in trade, IT, connectivity, tourism and skilled manpower

• Croatian foreign minister praises Pakistan's role in promoting regional peace

• Acting President Gilani invites Croatian firms to tap investment opportunities across key sectors

• Islamabad urges expansion of bilateral trade, parliamentary exchanges and business collaboration

• Croatia's first-ever foreign ministerial visit to Pakistan hailed as milestone in bilateral relations

 ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday called for a broad-based expansion of Pakistan-Croatia relations, urging stronger cooperation in trade, investment, information technology, connectivity and skilled manpower while inviting Croatian businesses to explore emerging investment opportunities in Pakistan.

The calls came during separate meetings with Croatia's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs, Dr Gordan Grlić Radman, who is on an official visit to Pakistan, according to statements issued by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and Aiwan-e-Sadr.

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

During a meeting at the Prime Minister's House, Prime Minister Shehbaz welcomed the Croatian foreign minister and his delegation, describing Pakistan's relations with Croatia as friendly and rooted in cordiality, mutual respect and shared interests.

He reaffirmed Pakistan's desire to further strengthen bilateral cooperation, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, information technology, connectivity, agriculture, tourism and skilled manpower.

Islamabad: 9 July 2026.

H.E. Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad, today.

Deputy Prime Minister & Foreign Minister Sen. Mohammad… pic.twitter.com/IFphaQrFoX

— Prime Minister's Office (@PakPMO) July 9, 2026

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar and Foreign Secretary Ambassador Amna Baloch also attended the meeting.

The prime minister conveyed his warm greetings and best wishes to President Zoran Milanović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković of Croatia and extended a cordial invitation to both leaders to undertake official visits to Pakistan at their convenience.

Dr Grlić Radman thanked the prime minister for the warm welcome and said he was honoured to visit Islamabad. He congratulated Pakistan and its leadership for what he described as the country's prominent role in regional peace efforts and expressed his government's desire to further strengthen Pakistan-Croatia relations across all areas of mutual interest.

Acting president invites Croatian investment

In a separate meeting at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani invited Croatian businesses to explore investment opportunities in Pakistan's key economic sectors, including information technology, renewable energy, agriculture, livestock, food processing, tourism and hospitality, urban development, and water and waste management.

He said the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) provided a streamlined mechanism to facilitate and support foreign investment, making Pakistan an increasingly attractive destination for international investors.

Welcoming Dr Grlić Radman and his delegation, Mr Gilani described the first-ever visit of a Croatian foreign minister to Pakistan as a historic milestone in bilateral relations.

He said Pakistan highly valued its longstanding friendship with Croatia, founded on mutual respect and goodwill, and expressed confidence that the visit would inject fresh momentum into bilateral cooperation.

The acting president commended Croatia's remarkable progress over the past three decades and appreciated its important role in Europe and beyond as a member of the European Union and NATO.

He said Pakistan remained committed to expanding engagement with Croatia both bilaterally and within the broader framework of its partnership with the European Union.

Recalling that diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Croatia were established more than three decades ago, Mr Gilani stressed the importance of regular high-level exchanges and parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bilateral ties.

He encouraged the establishment of Pakistan-Croatia Parliamentary Friendship Groups to promote sustained interaction between the elected representatives of the two countries.

The acting president also extended a cordial invitation to Croatian President Zoran Milanović to undertake an official visit to Pakistan at mutually convenient dates.

Highlighting the need to unlock the full potential of economic cooperation, Mr Gilani said bilateral trade and investment remained significantly below the capacity of the two economies and called for concerted efforts to substantially enhance commercial engagement.

🇵🇰🤝🇭🇷 Acting President invites Croatian President to visit Pakistan, underscores stronger economic partnership

Acting President Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani today received Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, who called on… pic.twitter.com/tMZNTjTtbq

— ᴏꜰꜰɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɪʀᴍᴀɴ ꜱᴇɴᴀᴛᴇ, ᴘᴀᴋɪꜱᴛᴀɴ (@OfficeSenate) July 9, 2026

He welcomed the growing presence of Croatian companies in Pakistan, including Infobip's partnerships with leading Pakistani businesses and KONČAR's contribution to the Chashma Hydropower Project, expressing the hope that these successful ventures would encourage greater Croatian investment in Pakistan.

Mr Gilani also underscored the importance of facilitating the mobility of skilled Pakistani professionals, particularly in the construction, transport and hospitality sectors, noting that Pakistani workers had made valuable contributions to the development of numerous countries across the Middle East, Europe and North America.

He said closer cooperation in this field would serve the mutual interests of both Pakistan and Croatia while opening new avenues for economic collaboration and people-to-people engagement.