{"id":45744,"date":"2025-06-19T21:23:03","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T15:53:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=45744"},"modified":"2025-07-12T15:36:49","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T10:06:49","slug":"india-croatia-defence-ties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-06-2025\/india-croatia-defence-ties","title":{"rendered":"India and Croatia to Make Long-term Plans for Deepening Defence Ties"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/IR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India and Croatia<\/strong> have agreed to develop a<strong> long-term defence cooperation plan.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Highlights<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Both sides agreed to develop a<strong> long-term Defence Cooperation Plan including:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Joint military training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Personnel exchanges.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Industry-level defence partnerships.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Emphasis on <strong>cooperation in cybersecurity and defence production.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>MoUs Signed on <\/strong>Agriculture, Cultural Exchange, Science &amp; Technology and setting up of an ICCR Chair of Hindi in Zagreb.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>India-EU FTA:<\/strong> India and Croatia have discussed the long-pending India-EU Free Trade Agreement.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Croatia has reiterated its strong support for the early conclusion of the FTA.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Investment:<\/strong> Commitment to enhance investment in Croatia&#8217;s critical industries, including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, information technology, clean technology, digital technology, and semiconductors.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Academic and cultural exchanges: <\/strong>Academic institutes from both countries would carry out joint research projects.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The two sides finalised a five-year plan for cultural exchange programs, institutionalising the people-to-people connections.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Enhanced mobility and diplomatic engagement: <\/strong>India and Croatia would &#8220;soon&#8221; sign a mobility agreement to facilitate the movement of people between the two countries.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This agreement is expected to boost tourism, educational exchanges, and business cooperation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Space and Academic Collaboration: <\/strong>Joint work in space ventures announced.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India to share its space expertise with Croatia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of the Engagement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Evolving European Strategy: <\/strong>PM Modi\u2019s visit reflects<strong> India\u2019s expanding European outreach beyond traditional Western partners.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The focus is on <strong>newer EU members like Croatia<\/strong> that influence the EU\u2019s consensus-driven decision-making.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Importance of Croatia in India&#8217;s Strategic Vision: <\/strong>Croatia\u2019s neutral stance on major global conflicts and tech cooperation willingness align with India\u2019s values.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Minimal dependence on China and skepticism <strong>toward BRI make Croatia ideal for India\u2019s vision of democratic, sustainable development.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Eastern &amp; Central Europe Access: <\/strong>Croatia shares borders with Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia &amp; Herzegovina, and Serbia.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strengthening ties offers a<strong> gateway to Central European markets and emerging sectors.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhances India\u2019s regional presence in the Balkans and Central Europe.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a7cdd3\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"930\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/India-and-Croatia-930x1024.png\" alt=\"india and croatia\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-45746\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a7cdd3; width:392px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/India-and-Croatia-930x1024.png 930w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/India-and-Croatia-272x300.png 272w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/India-and-Croatia-768x846.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/06\/India-and-Croatia.png 1056w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 930px) 100vw, 930px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Maritime and Logistics Significance: <\/strong>Croatia is located on the <strong>eastern Adriatic coast, a key maritime gateway to Europe.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Strategic for India amid Red Sea\/Suez disruptions and global supply chain rebalancing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Role in India\u2013Middle East\u2013Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): <\/strong>Croatia viewed as a critical node in the IMEC trade corridor.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Offers alternative trade routes to Central and Eastern Europe bypassing traditional Western European ports.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Influence in EU and NATO: <\/strong>Croatia is a full member of the EU and NATO, increasing its institutional weight.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Provides India with indirect access to European regulatory systems and policy debates.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Supports India\u2019s FTA with EU; valuable for overcoming FTA negotiation roadblocks.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Diplomatic Alignment and Multilateral Support: <\/strong>Croatia supports India\u2019s UNSC permanent membership bid.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India\u2019s position on Jammu and Kashmir (non-interventionist approach).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Acts as a predictable and consistent partner, unlike some larger EU countries.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The visit marks a <strong>new chapter in India&#8217;s European diplomacy.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Rooted in shared values, mutual respect, and complementary capabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demonstrates that small but influential nations can b<strong>e vital in India\u2019s multipolar global strategy.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/india-croatia-agree-to-expand-bilateral-trade-and-build-reliable-supply-chains\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">India and Croatia have agreed to develop a long-term defence cooperation plan.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Significance of the Engagement<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Evolving European Strategy: PM Modi\u2019s visit reflects India\u2019s expanding European outreach beyond traditional Western partners.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The focus is on newer EU members like Croatia that influence the EU\u2019s consensus-driven decision-making.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Importance of Croatia in India&#8217;s Strategic Vision: Croatia\u2019s neutral stance on major global conflicts and tech cooperation willingness align with India\u2019s values.<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Eastern &#038; Central Europe Access: Croatia shares borders with Hungary, Slovenia, Bosnia &#038; Herzegovina, and Serbia.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/19-06-2025\/india-croatia-defence-ties\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-45744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=45744"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47904,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/45744\/revisions\/47904"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=45744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=45744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=45744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}