 | |
 Croatia |  Iran |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Croatian embassy inTehran | Iranian embassy inZagreb |
Croatia andIran established diplomatic relations on April 18, 1992 when Iran became the 7th country in the world and the first among Asian and Muslim-majority[citation needed] countries to recognize the newly independent Croatia. Croatia has an embassy inTehran while Iran has an embassy and a cultural center inZagreb. Relations between the two countries are described as good and friendly.[1]
Iranian vice-presidentHassan Habibi visitedCroatia in 1995 while the Iranian presidentMohammad Khatami visitedZagreb in 2005.[2] Croatian presidentStjepan Mesić had a three-day state visit toIran in 2001.[3] In 2008 Iranian presidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad called for expansion of Iran-Croatia ties. During the same year, the Croatian national oil companyINA expanded actively in theArdabil Province.[4]
In October 2011, a senior Iranian parliamentary delegation visited Croatia and met with PresidentIvo Josipović and Foreign MinisterGordan Jandroković.[citation needed]
President of theIranian ParliamentAli Larijani met with the President of theCroatian ParliamentJosip Leko in October 2013. Both of them expressed their desire to strengthen cooperation between Iran and Croatia in the field of economy, trade, culture, science, sports, agriculture and energy, as well as to expand parliamentary cooperation. Larijani stated that "Iran and Croatia have historical ties", while Leko stated that "Iran and Croatia base their relations on friendship and understanding".[5]
Delegation of the Croatian-Iranian inter-parliamentary friendship group visited Tehran in March 2014, emphasizing the need for further development of relations between two countries. Just before this visit, Croatian President Josipović stressed Croatian desire for expand relations with Iran in the field of politics, economy and culture.[6]
High representative of the Iranian Parliament,Hossein Sheikholeslam visited Croatia in October 2014 at the invitation of Mladen Novak, the President of the Croatian-Iranian Friendship Group of the Croatian Parliament. Delegation met with Foreign MinisterVesna Pusić, PresidentIvo Josipović, and President of the Croatian ParliamentJosip Leko.[citation needed]
In January 2015, Croatian Foreign MinisterVesna Pusić visited Iran where she met with Iranian PresidentHassan Rouhani, Vice PresidentShahindokht Molaverdi, Vice PresidentMasoumeh Ebtekar, Speaker of ParliamentAli Larijani and Foreign MinisterMohammad Javad Zarif. Minister Pusić pointed out that the time of her visit to Iran, which occurred during thenegotiations on Iran nuclear deal, was "the right time to strengthen bilateral relations between Croatia and Iran". Pusić also stated that Croatia as EU member state strongly supports the efforts made by both sides in negotiations on Iran nuclear deal in order to ensure the successful completion of the negotiations. Minister Zarif pointed out that Pusić's visit to Iran would strengthen bilateral relations between two countries and that Croatia is extremely important Iranian partner within theEuropean Union. Vice President andHead of Department of Environment Molaverdi was talking with Minister Pusić about strengthening bilateral cooperation between Iran and Croatia in the field of environmental protection. They all emphasized the importance of continuing the fight against terrorism, extremism and violence.[7][8][9] During the visit, delegations agreed to set up in near future a mixed commission of economic experts.[10]
Economic cooperation between Croatia and Iran is low due tosanctions against Iran. In 2012 Croatia exported to Iran goods worth $2.9 million[11] and imported from it goods worth $2.19 million.[11]
On March 22, 2012 Croatia and other 27European Union member states banned the import, purchase and transport of oil and oil and petrochemical products from Iran. It is also prohibited for Croatian companies to provide any financing or financial assistance, insurance or re-insurance related to the import, purchase or transport of Iranian crude oil and petroleum products. In addition, all Croatian citizens who sail under the Croatian flag are banned for selling and purchasing equipment that can be used in the oil industry in Iran.[12]
CEOs of theTobacco factory Rovinj and the Iranian Tobacco Company signed in 2010 a contract for building a joint tobacco factory in Iran. The factory was opened in 2013 in the town ofSari and is the largest tobacco factory in the Middle East. The investment is worth 30 million euros, and the capacity of the factory is 6 billion cigarettes a year.[13]
During the visit of the Iranian delegation to Croatia in October 2011, a contact that focuses on cooperation in shipbuilding between the Iranian provincesKermanshah andKhozestan and CroatianSplit-Dalmatia County was signed. Iran and the Croatian shipyard inRijeka had previously cooperated.[14] This contract was eventually terminated due to the imposition ofsanctions against Iran.[10]
Iranian ambassador to Croatia Mohammad Taherian Fard stated in an interview forVečernji list in April 2015 that he received instructions directly from the PresidentHassan Rouhani to strengthen political, cultural and especially economic relations with Croatia. In addition, Ambassador also stated that Iran's strategic plan is to make Croatia a distributor of Iranian gas to many European countries.[10]
On May 18, 2016, Croatian presidentKolinda Grabar-Kitarović visited Iran, and signed Agreement on Economic Cooperation.[1]
TheIran national football team in recently has been heavily influenced by football doctrines of Croatia, with Croatian managers dominate Iranian football scheme.[15]
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