Excellency Dr. Gordan Grlić Radman, Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia,

Members of the esteemed Delegation,

Members of the Media,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Assalam-o-Alaikum and very good afternoon.

It gives me immense pleasure to welcome my friend, Dr. Gordan Radman, and his delegation to Pakistan. My dear friend, Dr. Radman, is the longest-serving Foreign Minister of Croatia. He played a key role in his country’s membership in the EU and NATO.

Excellency, it is the first high-level visit from Croatia to Pakistan after a long time. It marks an important step in strengthening relations between our two great countries. Bearing in mind the existing goodwill on both sides, I look forward to more frequent exchanges between our two friendly countries in the months and years to come.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our discussions today were warm, constructive, and wide-ranging. We reviewed the entire spectrum of Pakistan-Croatia relations and agreed to undertake steps to inject greater momentum into our political and economic relations, as well as to enhance our cooperation in all other areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment, development, agriculture, labor mobility, visa facilitation, education, defense, climate change, tourism, infrastructure, IT, seaport collaboration, etc.

The two sides decided to make the MoU on Bilateral Political Consultations between our Foreign Ministries fully functional and to hold the Consultations on a regular basis. In this respect, I am happy to announce that the first round of consultations, which I have offered, can be held either during the last quarter of this calendar year or the first quarter of 2027.

Both sides concurred that our bilateral trade remains below its potential. They appreciated the rising trend in bilateral trade volume, and we also agreed to revitalize bilateral economic and trade relations, including through encouraging B2B exchanges for our common benefit. We also considered holding a B2B trade forum in the future between the private-sector business communities of the two countries. I commended the presence of Croatian companies and business interests in Pakistan and invited the Croatian side to benefit from Pakistan’s favorable investment policies.

We took note of the cooperation between the agriculture and research institutes of Pakistan and Croatia and discussed ways to strengthen it further, including through greater bilateral exchanges. Through His Excellency Dr. Radman, I invited the University of Zagreb’s Indology Department to visit Taxila, the greatest cosmopolitan center of learning in the ancient world, which was also one of the foremost intellectual hubs for Sanskrit and Vedic scholarship 3,000 years ago.

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Connectivity lies at the heart of our vision for sustainable development, regional stability, and global economic integration. Both Pakistan and Croatia are situated at important geographical locations and could utilize their presence and location to unlock the enormous potential for growth between the two countries and beyond. I briefed the visiting delegation and His Excellency Dr. Radman on the capacity, facilities, and connectivity of our Karachi Port. Both sides discussed the possibility of collaborative arrangements between the ports of the two countries.

We also agreed on the early finalization of various agreements and MoUs under process between our two countries. We also discussed considering a Double Taxation Treaty between us, and we will trigger this process in the very near future. I would also like to take this opportunity to mention that we are working together to expedite the opening of a Croatian visa processing facility in Islamabad, and I’m grateful that His Excellency has agreed that, because our applicants have to go to Tehran for visa processing, I have requested either a visa processing facility in Islamabad or an alternative, like Gerry’s, or any other arrangement that is convenient. His Excellency has given me a very positive response. We believe that this will certainly be a welcome relief for Pakistani applicants for Croatian visas by sparing them the inconvenience of traveling to a third country to obtain a visa, which is the arrangement currently in place.

Pakistan’s access to the EU’s GSP+ scheme remains a cornerstone of Pakistan-European Union economic cooperation and a mutually beneficial framework. We have taken note of the new GSP+ Regulation, which is scheduled to enter into force on 1 January 2027. I informed my friend, His Excellency the Foreign Minister of Croatia, that we have already initiated preparatory work for our reapplication in early 2027.

Labor mobility was another key area that we discussed in the context of Pakistan-EU relations, as well as Pakistan-Croatia relations on a bilateral basis. We agreed to continue work on legal pathways for Pakistan’s skilled manpower. Stressing the need to combat human smuggling and illegal migration, both sides agreed that by providing safe, orderly, and regular channels for migration, we not only protect the rights and lives of migrants but also dismantle the illegal model of smuggling networks.

Both Pakistan and Croatia share a commitment to multilateralism, the principles of the United Nations Charter, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. Pakistan’s actions as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2025–2026 are shaped by our commitment to upholding the principles of the UN Charter and advancing the core work of the Security Council. The Croatian side appreciated that Pakistan, as the UN Security Council President in July 2025, convened an open debate on strengthening multilateralism and adopted a resolution on the peaceful settlement of disputes by consensus rather than by majority. After years, a consensus resolution was passed last year in the UN Security Council when I, on behalf of Pakistan, presided over the Council meeting.

Our two countries remain actively engaged on issues related to the UN Security Council, and the two sides have strong convergence of views on major issues. Benefiting from our previous experience of working together in international bodies and multilateral fora, both sides affirmed their desire to continue mutual support and consultations in multilateral forums.

During our talks, I briefed the Croatian side and my great friend, Dr. Radman, on the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, which remains one of the long-standing unresolved international disputes and has been on the UN Security Council’s agenda since 1948. Likewise, I also raised the issue of Gaza, the efforts made by the international community, including Pakistan and the Eight Group of Arab and Islamic countries, on the sidelines of the UNGA, which led to the signing of the Board of Peace and Inter-Stability Force and other actions. However, the conflict between the US and Iran has actually put the entire process on the back burner. Therefore, my idea was that we should reactivate it in September, when the UNGA 2026 session will take place in New York, so that we can discuss this subject as well.

I also apprised His Excellency that a new dynamic has been added by India to an already volatile security situation by announcing that it would place the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance after and during the India-Pakistan war in May 2025. We would like to seek the support of our friendly countries for India’s immediate restoration of the Indus Waters Treaty, ending the weaponization of water, and upholding international law and treaty obligations.

I apprised the delegation of our diplomatic efforts to promote dialogue, de-escalation, and the peaceful settlement of the recent US-Iran conflict, which culminated in the signing of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the two sides on 18 June. The Croatian side appreciated Pakistan’s mediation role. I am grateful to His Excellency for appreciating Pakistan’s mediation role in the conflict, which had repercussions not only for the region but also for the globe.

I briefed the visiting delegation and His Excellency the Foreign Minister on the continued presence of TTP, BLA, and other affiliated networks in Afghanistan and the terrorist attacks perpetrated by them against Pakistan. I stressed the need for the Afghan Taliban regime to abide by its international commitments and that Afghan territory must not be used to threaten or attack other countries, particularly Pakistan. Both sides reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, and we agreed on the need for international cooperation to fight this menace and support all efforts in this regard.

We also exchanged views on the situation in Ukraine and agreed on the need to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, in full respect of the principles of international law and the UN Charter.

I thank His Excellency Dr. Radman for his visit. We had our first meeting on the sidelines of the Indo-Pacific Ministerial Meeting in Brussels in November 2025. I invited my friend to visit Pakistan, and it was very kind of him that, as you know, he was at the NATO meeting in Ankara, from where he came and flew to Pakistan to attend this meeting.

Excellency, I greatly appreciate your visit, and I am confident that your visit will open a new chapter in Pakistan-Croatia relations and will contribute to greater cooperation and mutual prosperity for the people of both countries in the years ahead.

I thank you, Excellency.

Islamabad 
09 July 2026