Croatia can be Iran’s “gateway to the EU” given its geographical position and the two sides’ cultural and historical commonalities, President Rouhani said in a Wednesday meeting in Tehran with Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.
He further said that the two countries should make every effort to boost their ties in diverse economic fields, particularly in energy and transportation.
The Iranian president also said his Croatian counterpart’s visit to Iran shows the political will of her government to expand the relations.
Grabar-Kitarovic, for her part, described her visit to the Iranian capital as a “turning point” in bilateral relations between Tehran and Zagreb.
She further described the two nations’ level of economic cooperation as inadequate and underlined the need for promotion of mutual ties following the “good atmosphere” created with a lasting nuclear deal between Tehran and world powers.
The Croatian president arrived in Tehran on Tuesday evening for a three-day official visit. She was greeted by President Rouhani at a formal welcome ceremony on Wednesday morning.
The trip by Grabar-Kitarovic and her accompanying delegation is aimed at enhancement of economic cooperation between the two nations.
The visit comes against a backdrop of international enthusiasm for enhanced ties with Iran after Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015 reached an agreement on Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.
The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) came into force in January and terminated nuclear-related sanctions against Iran.