As the most populous country in the world, India represents a great opportunity for the Croatian economy

This is the second meeting between the two prime ministers in less than a year, as Modi visited Croatia in June last year.

They expressed satisfaction with the upward trend in trade, which increased by about ten percent last year, and there is still enormous room for improving cooperation.

"This is a large market, India is the most populous country in the world and therefore represents a great opportunity for the Croatian economy," Prime Minister Plenković emphasized.

They also discussed the main reason for Prime Minister Plenković's visit to India, which is the AI ​​Impact Summit.

The idea is to send a message of inclusion and the benefits of artificial intelligence for all at this summit, Prime Minister Plenković said.

Opportunities for Croatian IT companies

They also discussed the broader framework of relations, especially in view of the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and India, which opens up additional opportunities for numerous European companies and their presence on the Indian market.

Asked what opportunities there are for Croatian IT companies, the Prime Minister recalled that a meeting of the National Council for Digital Transformation was recently held, at which the progress of the Digital Transformation Strategy until 2032 was jointly discussed.

"Technological progress is so fast that we see huge strides at practically every one of these summits. It is important for Croatian companies, which have truly achieved fantastic success and found niches in the global IT market, that their knowledge is reflected in the management of this entire process," said Prime Minister Plenković.

Stressing that innovators are faster than regulators, he added that it is important to keep up with what is happening with technological progress.

This is the fourth summit on artificial intelligence, the Prime Minister reminded, the first was in the United Kingdom, the second in South Korea, the third in France, and next year it will be held in Switzerland.

With intensive dialogue with the entire sector, we can converge both the interests of the state and the interests of the economy.

Infobip, the first Croatian unicorn in the ICT sector, is already present on the Indian market, he added.

Croatia - Mediterranean gateway to Central Europe for the whole world

As for connectivity, the Prime Minister said that India's policy is to create an economic transport corridor India-Middle East-Europe with the aim of ending in the ports of the northern Adriatic - Rijeka, Koper and Trieste.

This was precisely one of the key messages to Prime Minister Modi that Croatia is ready, said the Prime Minister, highlighting the huge investments in the capacities of the Port of Rijeka.

And the presence of one of the world's largest logistics companies, Maersk, in Rijeka also provides a reference to how much the Port of Rijeka is ready to absorb and increase its capacities.

In this context, he announced that he would hold a meeting today with a French logistics company, CMA-CGM, one of the top five in the world, which is also interested in the Port of Rijeka.

"That is precisely why Croatia represents the Mediterranean gateway to Central Europe, and it is not only for Europe but for the whole world," the Prime Minister emphasized, adding that he wanted to underline this role precisely in the year when Croatia presides over the Three Seas Initiative and the EU MED9.

Indian workers in Croatia a link between the two countries

Regarding the workforce from India, Prime Minister Plenković said that the Croatian labor market is vibrant and that today, far from the central part of the tourist season, we already have more than one million and 700 thousand employees.

We have over 150 thousand foreign workers, adding that they represent only 8 percent of the total number of employees, and India is one of the top five to seven countries from which they come the most.

Indian workers contribute to our economy and represent a link between Croatia and India, added the Prime Minister.

Peace efforts and support for Ukraine

Regarding the situation in Ukraine, Prime Minister Plenković reiterated Croatia's clear position on this occasion, which is continued support and solidarity with Ukraine.

He recalled that the Government had also made a decision yesterday on a new aid package, especially due to the energy crisis that Ukraine is facing because Russia is bombing its energy infrastructure.

Croatia has certain technology that can be immediately used as a replacement in Ukraine, and it is not used in Croatia, so it has donated certain capacities for the second time.

They also discussed peace efforts, with India having a slightly different approach, the Prime Minister said, adding that it is not the same whether the Russian aggression against Ukraine is viewed from Europe or the rest of the world.

But, in any case, Prime Minister Modi and India's commitment to peace is very clear, he added.

Asked about his personal relationship with Prime Minister Modi, the Prime Minister said that it is very good.

Stressing that he is very realistic in his assessment of such relations, he added that it is important to establish good personal contacts with leaders on a personal level.

"I would say that they are even friendly, as much as is realistic and possible, and they are such that they can only help relations between the two countries," he said, adding that Modi is a leader with great experience, very rational and reasonable views on global issues and cooperation, and very constructive.