MoS Meenakshi Lekhi to visit Croatia and Slovenia from April 16

Minister of State for External Affairs and Culture (MoS) Meenakshi Lekhi is scheduled to leave for an official visit to Croatia and Slovenia from April 16 to April 19, 2023.

During her visit to Croatia, MoS Lekhi will hold discussions with the State Secretary for Political Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. She will also interact with members of the Indian community and participate in a special Yoga session.

Furthermore, she will meet with faculty members at the University of Zagreb, which has exchange programs with several Indian universities.

Later, while visiting Slovenia, MoS Lekhi will hold a meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister and call on the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs. Additionally, she will interact with the Indian community and attend an AKAM event at the University of Ljubljana.

India maintains cordial and friendly relations with Croatia and Slovenia, both of which are located in Central Europe. Diplomatic relations between India and Croatia were established in 1992, while India established diplomatic relations with Slovenia in 1993.

India has cooperated with both countries in various fields such as trade, investment, culture, education, and tourism. In recent years, there has been an upswing in India's economic engagement with both Croatia and Slovenia, with India being an important trading partner for both countries.

India and Croatia have signed several agreements on economic cooperation, trade, and investments. Indian companies have invested in Croatia in areas such as pharmaceuticals, IT, and hospitality. Similarly, India and Slovenia have signed trade and economic cooperation agreements, which have facilitated the growth of bilateral trade between the two countries.

In addition to economic cooperation, India has also been engaging with Croatia and Slovenia in areas such as culture, education, and people-to-people exchanges. The Indian diaspora in both countries has been playing an important role in strengthening the cultural ties between India and Croatia/Slovenia.

The four-day visit by MoS Meenakashi Lekhi is expected to bolster the already strong ties between India and these central European countries.