Commerce secy visits Croatia, Netherlands to boost trade, investment ties

The April 22-26 visit came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-nation Europe tour to Croatia, Netherlands and Norway in May

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal held wide-ranging talks on boosting India’s trade and investment ties with Croatia and The Netherlands and collaboration in the fields of railways and information and technology (IT) during his five-day visit to the two countries last week, the Commerce Department said on Tuesday.

 

Barthwal visited the two European nations from April 22-26, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-nation Europe tour to Croatia, Netherlands and Norway in May. 

 

During his April 22-23 visit to Croatia, Barthwal held bilateral discussions with top officials, including State Secretary for Foreign Trade and Development Zdenko Lucić.

 

 

Among other things, there were discussions on taking forward the free trade agreement (FTA) between India and the European Union (EU).

 

The timing of the visit is crucial since the 11th round of negotiations for the proposed FTA between India and EU is scheduled to begin in New Delhi on May 12. 

 

During the meetings, the commerce secretary mentioned the areas of collaboration between the two countries like railways, global capability centers, electric vehicles, IT, among others. The Croatian side apprised about their interest in investment in the defence sector (about flagship products of India), solar cell production, food processing technology, automobiles, knowledge sharing amongst other sectors, an official statement said.

 

Barthwal visited The Netherlands from April 24-26, underlining “India’s commitment to strengthening its economic engagement with the Netherlands, a key European partner.”

 

“The visit reinforced the strategic importance of the India-Netherlands partnership in addressing global economic challenges and fostering innovation-driven growth,” the statement said.

 

The CEOs roundtable, organised by the Indian Embassy, was attended by approximately 40 representatives from leading Dutch and Indian companies, as well as business chambers and trade organisations. “The engagements at the Port of Rotterdam and ASML opened new avenues for cooperation in maritime infrastructure and semiconductors, aligning with India’s economic priorities,” it said.