Zagreb: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome by the vibrant Indian community in Zagreb as he began his landmark visit to Croatia - the first-ever by an Indian Prime Minister to the country.
Zagreb was the last stop on PM Modi's three-nation tour, which also included visits to Cyprus en route to Canada for the G7 Summit in Kananaskis.
As a special gesture, the PM was warmly received by his Croatian counterpart Andrej Plenkovic at the Franjo Tudman Airport with a ceremonial welcome.
"This is a special visit, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to a valued European partner. I am grateful to Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for the special gesture of welcoming me at the airport," PM Modi posted on X.
Plenkovic said that PM Modi's significant visit comes at a pivotal moment.
"We welcomed the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Zagreb! This is the first visit by the Prime Minister of India - the most populous country in the world, and it comes at an important geopolitical moment. We are starting a new chapter in Croatia-India relations and creating the conditions for strengthening bilateral cooperation in a number of areas," the Croatian Prime Minister commented.
Members of the Indian diaspora, waiting to catch a glimpse of PM Modi, were seen gathered in huge numbers as the PM's motorcade drove through the city.
Hundreds of people, including locals, also gave a grand welcome to PM Modi as he arrived at his hotel.
Amid chants of "Modi-Modi", "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and "Vande Mataram", PM Modi witnessed vibrant and energy-filled cultural performances from people present at the venue.
PM Modi joined a group of locals chanting Vedic shlokas and also interacted with a few in the gathering while getting inside the building.
Citing the centuries-old close cultural links, PM Modi had said before arriving in the country that he is looking forward to his visit and meetings with President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.
The Indian community in Croatia has changed over the last three years rapidly due to the demographic situation in Croatia where a lot of foreign workers are being employed for carrying out work in different sectors of the economy.
There were approximately 17,000 Indians residing in Croatia in December 2024. Many of the Indian workers are working on short to medium term contracts and therefore at least 90 per cent of the people currently residing are those who form a part of the mobile population staying in Croatia for a specific contractual period.
