Pakistan, Croatia seek stronger trade, port connectivity and investment partnership

Pakistan and Croatia have agreed to pursue closer economic cooperation by expanding trade, investment and business engagement, with both sides identifying port connectivity and commercial partnerships as key drivers of future bilateral relations.

The understanding emerged during talks between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Gordan Grlić Radman in Islamabad on Thursday, where the two sides reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral relations and outlined measures to deepen cooperation.

Speaking after the meeting, Dar said the two countries acknowledged that bilateral trade remained below its potential despite recent growth and agreed to inject fresh momentum into economic relations. He said both governments would encourage greater business-to-business (B2B) interaction and were considering holding a dedicated trade forum bringing together the private sectors of both countries.

Dar said Pakistan and Croatia's strategic geographic locations presented opportunities to strengthen regional connectivity and economic integration. In this regard, he briefed the Croatian delegation on the capabilities and connectivity of Karachi Port, while both sides explored possible collaboration between their maritime infrastructure.

Beyond trade, the ministers agreed to enhance cooperation in investment, agriculture, information technology, education, tourism, defence, climate change, infrastructure, visa facilitation and labour mobility. They also agreed to operationalise the memorandum of understanding on political consultations between their foreign ministries, with Pakistan proposing to host the inaugural session either in the final quarter of 2026 or the opening months of 2027.

On Pakistan's engagement with the European Union, Dar said Islamabad had already begun preparations to seek renewal of its Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) status under the bloc's new framework, which will take effect from January 1, 2027. He described the arrangement as a central pillar of Pakistan-EU economic cooperation.

The deputy prime minister also said progress was being made towards establishing a Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad, a move expected to eliminate the need for Pakistani applicants to travel to Tehran for visa services.

Addressing labour mobility, Dar said both countries had agreed to promote legal avenues for skilled Pakistani workers while strengthening cooperation against human smuggling and irregular migration.

For his part, Radman described Pakistan as an important partner for the European Union and said Croatia's location offered Pakistani businesses a gateway to European markets. He invited greater Pakistani investment in Croatia and identified pharmaceuticals, healthcare, defence, digital technologies, information technology, tourism and fuel production as sectors with strong potential for collaboration.

The two ministers also exchanged views on regional and international developments, including the situations in Gaza, Ukraine, Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Afghanistan and the Indus Waters Treaty. They reaffirmed support for multilateralism, adherence to international law and the United Nations Charter, while condemning terrorism in all its forms.

Separately, Radman called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reiterated Pakistan's interest in expanding bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, information technology, connectivity, agriculture, tourism and skilled manpower, and invited Croatia's leadership to undertake official visits to Pakistan.