NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (Hina) - President Mesic, who will stay in India between 12 and 16 November, will be the first Croatian head of state to pay an official visit to this large Asian country.
NEW DELHI, Nov 10 (Hina) - President Mesic, who will stay in India
between 12 and 16 November, will be the first Croatian head of state
to pay an official visit to this large Asian country. #L#
Last year, Mesic accepted an invitation for his official visit to
New Delhi, and he will fly to India, accompanied by his wife and a
delegation of Croatian businessmen. After India, he will visit Sri
Lanka.
The Republic of India recognised the Croatian passport in February
1992. That year the then Croatian foreign minister, Zvonimir
Separovic, visited this Asian nation. New Delhi recognised
Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia on 11 May 1992, and the
diplomatic ties between Zagreb and New Delhi were established in
July in the same year.
In 1995 the then Croatian foreign minister Mate Granic held a series
of successful meetings with his Indian hosts, the country's senior
officials. The political relations between the countries were
assessed with high marks, what thus refuted some speculations from
diplomatic circles about the cold Indian reception of the
independence of Croatia, a successor to the former Yugoslavia with
which India had set up the Non-Alignment Movement several decades
ago.
During Granic's tour, the Croatian delegation showed that Croatia
had made up some 65 to 70 percent of the entire trade between the
former Yugoslavia and India and that Croatian shipyards had built
one third of India's fleet.
In 1996, India's Embassy was opened in Zagreb.
In 1997, a delegation of the lower house of the Indian parliament
visited Croatia, and Croatia's Sabor delegation paid a return visit
in 1999.
In 1995, two countries singed a protocol on cooperation between
their ministries of foreign affairs. A bilateral agreement on
cooperation in culture, education, science, technology and sports
was signed in 1999, and an agreement on cooperation between the
foreign ministries' diplomatic academies was signed in 2000.
In 2001 the two countries' governments concluded an agreement on
cooperation in the fight against trafficking in narcotics,
international terrorism and organised crime..
The trade between this fifth largest world economy and Croatia
totalled 21 million dollars in 1999. Croatia exported goods valued
1.5 million dollars while the goods imported from India valued 19.3
million that year.
Zagreb and New Delhi signed several agreements aimed at enhancing
economic cooperation.
During the coming visit of President Mesic, the two countries are to
sign an agreement on cooperation in agriculture.
(hina) ms