The foreign relations ofCroatia are primarily formulated and executed viaits government which guides the state's interactions with other nations, their citizens, and foreign organizations. Active in global affairs since the 9th century, modern Croatian diplomacy is considered to have formed following theindependence of Croatia in 1991. As a modern state, Croatia established diplomatic relations with most world nations –189 states in total – during the 1990s, startingwith Germany (1991) and most recentlywith Liberia (2024). Croatia has friendly relations with most of its neighboring countries, namelyItaly,Slovenia,Hungary, andMontenegro. They maintain colder, more tense relations withSerbia as well asBosnia and Herzegovina due to historic nation-building conflict and differing political ideologies. It maintains a special relationship with bothAlbania andKosovo.
Croatia is seen as a stabilizing influence inSoutheast Europe due to its political alignment with theWestern world. It maintains strong relations with theUnited States, theUnited Kingdom, and theEuropean Union (E.U.), joining the organizationin 2013. Croatia is a close military ally to the U.S. and Europe through its membership inNATO, having joinedin 2009. Theeconomy of Croatia is one of thelargest in Southeast Europe with Croatia maintaining a relativelylarge military presence in the region. Its strongEuro-Atlantic alignment has been used to advance Western cultural, political, and economic synergy across Southeast Europe. Croatia is a member of theUnited Nations (UN), theCouncil of Europe, theWorld Trade Organization (WTO),Union for the Mediterranean, among other international organizations.
Their foreign policy objectives have shifted since theCroatian War of Independence. During the 1990s, Croatia sought to gain international recognition and join theUnited Nations (2000), later seeking entry into NATO (2009) and the European Union (2013). Modern policy objectives are regional stabilization, influence in international organizations, and strengthening multilateral cooperation. Limited succession issues following the 1991-92dissolution of Yugoslavia continue to complicate regional relations. Croatia has outstanding border disputes, sovereign ownership issues, and treaty disagreements with multiple neighbors.Croatian nationalism influences regional geopolitics.
The first native Croatian ruler recognised by the Pope was dukeBranimir, who received papal recognition fromPope John VIII on 7 June 879.[1]Tomislav was the firstking of Croatia, noted as such in a letter ofPope John X in 925.MaritimeRepublic of Ragusa (1358–1808) maintained widespread diplomatic relations with theOttoman Empire,Republic of Venice,Papal States and other states. Diplomatic relations of the Republic of Ragusa are often perceived as a historical inspiration for the contemporary Croatian diplomacy.[2] During the Wars of the Holy League Ragusa avoided alignment with either side in the conflict rejecting Venetian calls to join theHoly League.[2]
Antun Mihanović, author of theanthem of Croatia, spent over 20 years as aconsul of theAustrian Empire inBelgrade (Principality of Serbia),Bucharest (Wallachia) andIstanbul (Ottoman Empire) starting in 1836.[3] TheYugoslav Committee, political interest group formed bySouth Slavs fromAustria-Hungary duringWorld War I, petitionedAllies of World War I and participated in international events such as theCongress of Oppressed Nationalities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Association for the Promotion of theLeague of Nations Values was active inZagreb in theinterwar period organizing lectures byAlbert Thomas,Goldsworthy Lowes Dickinson andLudwig Quidde.[4] DuringWorld War II, theAxispuppet state known as theIndependent State of Croatia maintained diplomatic relationswith several different countries in Europe.
While each constitution of Yugoslavia defined foreign affairs as a federal level issue, over the years Yugoslav constituent republics played increasingly prominent role in either defining this policy or pursuing their own initiatives. Number of diplomats from Croatia gained significant experience in the service to the prominentCold War era Yugoslav diplomacy.[5]
In June 1943Vladimir Velebit became the point of contact for foreign military missions in their dealings with theYugoslav Partisans.Ivan Šubašić (1944–1945),Josip Smodlaka (NKOJ: 1943–1945),Josip Vrhovec (1978–1982) andBudimir Lončar (1987–1991) led the federal levelMinistry of Foreign Affairs while numerous Croatian diplomats served in Yugoslav embassies or multilateral organizations. In 1956Brijuni archipelago inPeople's Republic of Croatia hosted theBrioni Meeting, one of the major early initiatives leading to the establishment of theNon-Aligned Movement.[6][7] Between 1960 and 1967 Vladimir Velebit was executive secretary of theUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe. During theCroatian Spring Croatian economist Hrvoje Šošić argued for the separate admission of theSocialist Republic of Croatia into theUnited Nations similar to the membership ofUkrainian andByelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic which led to his imprisonment.[8] In 1978, Croatia together withSR Slovenia joined the newly establishedAlps-Adriatic Working Group. Thebreakup of Yugoslavia led to mass transfers of experts from federal institutions enabling post-Yugoslav states to establish their own diplomatic bodies primarily by employing former Yugoslav cadres.[9] The 2001Agreement on Succession Issues of the Former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia formally assigned to Croatia a portion of the diplomatic and consular properties of the previous federation.[10]
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On 17 December 1991 theEuropean Economic Community adopted the "Common Position for the recognition of the Yugoslav Republics" requesting the Yugoslav republics wishing to gain recognition to accept provisions of international law protecting human rights as well as national minorities rights in hope that credible guarantees may prevent incentives for violent confrontations.[11][12] Later that monthCroatian Parliament introduced theConstitutional Act on the Rights of National Minorities in the Republic of Croatia opening the way for 15 January 1992 collective recognition by the Community. Croatia maintained some links beyond the Euro-Atlantic world via its observer status in theNon-Aligned Movement which it enjoyed already at the10th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement inJakarta,Indonesia.[13]
Following theinternational recognition of Croatia in 1992 the country was faced with theCroatian War of Independence between 1991 and 1995. A significant part of the country was outside of the control of the central government with the declaration of self-proclaimed unrecognizedRepublic of Serbian Krajina. In 1992 signing of theSarajevo Agreement led to the cease-fire to allowUNPROFOR deployment in the country. Diplomatic efforts led to unsuccessful proposals which included theDaruvar Agreement andZ-4 Plan. In 1995UNCRO mission took over the UNPROFOR mandate yet soon afterOperation Storm led to adecisive victory for theCroatian Army with only theEastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia remaining initially as a rump territory of Krajina. A diplomatic solution that avoided conflict in Eastern Slavonia was reached on 12 November 1995 via the signing of theErdut Agreement with significant support and facilitation from theinternational community (primarily theUnited States, and withUnited Nations and variousEuropean actors).[14][15] TemporaryUNTAES administration over the region opened the way for the signing of theDayton Agreement which ended theBosnian War. It also led to the signing of 1996Agreement on Normalization of Relations between theFederal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Croatia.[16]
With the resolution of some of the major bilateral issues arising from theYugoslav Wars Croatian foreign policy has focused on greater Euro-Atlantic integration, mainly entering theEuropean Union andNATO. The progress was nevertheless slow in the period between 1996 and 1999 with rising concerns over authoritarian tendencies in the country. In order to gain access to European andtrans-Atlantic institutions, it has had to undo many negative effects of thebreakup of Yugoslavia and the war that ensued, and improve and maintain good relations with its neighbours. Croatia has had an uneven record in these areas between 1996 and 1999 during the right-wingHDZ government, inhibiting its relations with theEuropean Union and theUnited States. In 1997 United States diplomacy even called upon its European partners to suspend Croatia from theCouncil of Europe as long as country fails to show adequate respect for human and minority rights.[17] Lack of improvement in these areas severely hindered the advance of Croatia's prospects for further Euro-Atlantic integration. Progress in the areas of Dayton, Erdut, and refugee returns were evident in 1998, but progress was slow and required intensive international engagement. Croatia's unsatisfactory performance implementing broader democratic reforms in 1998 raised questions about the ruling party's commitment to basic democratic principles and norms. Areas of concern included restrictions on freedom of speech, one-party control of public TV and radio, repression of independent media, unfair electoral regulations, a judiciary that is not fully independent, and lack of human and civil rights protection.
With the 1999 death of PresidentFranjo Tuđman,2000 Croatian parliamentary election as well as corresponding regional changes such as theOverthrow of Slobodan Milošević, theEuropean Union organized the 2000 Zagreb and 2003Thessaloniki Summits in which European integration perspective was discussed for all the countries in the region.[18] The newSDP-ledcentre-leftcoalition government slowly relinquished control over public media companies and did not interfere with freedom of speech and independent media, though it did not complete the process of makingCroatian Radiotelevision independent. Judiciary reforms remained a pending issue as well. The government's foreign relations were severely affected by the hesitance and stalling of the extradition of Croatian generalJanko Bobetko to theInternational Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), and inability to take generalAnte Gotovina into custody for questioning by the Court. Nevertheless, Croatia managed to enter NATO'sPartnership for Peace Programme in May 2000,World Trade Organization in July 2000, signing aStabilization and Association Agreement with the EU in October 2001,Membership Action Plan in May 2002, and joined theCentral European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) in December 2002. The EU membership application was the last major international undertaking of theRačan government, which submitted a 7,000-page report in reply to the questionnaire by theEuropean Commission. Negotiations were initiated with the achievement of the full cooperation with theHague Tribunal in October 2005. Croatian presidentStjepan Mesić participated in the NAM conferences inHavana in 2006 andSharm el-Sheikh in 2009 using the country's post-Yugoslav link with theThird World in its successful campaign for the Eastern European Spot at theUnited Nations Security Council in 2008–2009 (in open competition withCzech Republic which was a member state both of EU and NATO).[19][20]
Refugee returns accelerated since 1999, reached a peak in 2000, but then slightly decreased in 2001 and 2002. TheOSCE Mission to Croatia, focusing on the governed by theUNTAES, continued to monitor human rights and the return of refugees until December 2007 with the OSCE office in Zagreb finally closing in 2012.[21][22]Croatian Serbs continue to have problems with restitution of property and acceptance to the reconstruction assistance programmes. Combined with lacking economic opportunities in the rural areas offormer Krajina, the return process was only partial.
At the time of Croatia's application to the European Union, three EU members states were yet to ratify the Stabilization and Association Agreement: United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Italy. The newSanader government elected in2003 elections repeated the assurances that Croatia will fulfill the missing political obligations, and expedited the extradition of several ICTY inductees. TheEuropean Commission replied to the answers of the questionnaire sent to Croatia on 20 April 2004 with a positive opinion. The country was finally accepted as EU candidate in July 2004. Italy and United Kingdom ratified the Stabilization and Association Agreement shortly thereafter, while the ten EU member states that were admitted to membership that year ratified it all together at a 2004 European Summit. In December 2004, the EU leaders announced that accession negotiations with Croatia would start on 17 March 2005 provided that Croatian government cooperates fully with the ICTY. The main issue, the flight of generalGotovina, however, remained unsolved and despite the agreement on an accession negotiation framework, the negotiations did not begin in March 2005. On 4 October 2005 Croatia finally received green light for accession negotiations after the Chief Prosecutor of the ICTYCarla Del Ponte officially stated that Croatia is fully cooperating with the Tribunal. This has been the main condition demanded by EU foreign ministers for accession negotiations. The ICTY called upon other southern European states to follow Croatia's good example. Thanks to the consistent position ofAustria during the meeting of EU foreign ministers, a long period of instability and the questioning of the determination of the Croatian government to extradite alleged war criminals has ended successfully. Croatian Prime ministerIvo Sanader declared that full cooperation with the Hague Tribunal will continue. The accession process was also complicated by the insistence ofSlovenia, an EU member state, that thetwo countries' border issues be dealt with prior to Croatia's accession to the EU.
Croatia finished accession negotiations on 30 June 2011, and on 9 December 2011, signed theTreaty of Accession.[23] Areferendum on EU accession was held in Croatia on 22 January 2012, with 66% of participants voting in favour of joining the Union.[24][25][26][27] The ratification process was concluded on 21 June 2013, and entry into force and accession of Croatia to the EU took place on 1 July 2013.[28] The Council of Europe was led by Croatian diplomatMarija Pejčinović Burić from 2019 to 2024.
The main objective of modern Croatian foreign policy is leadership positioning within European international institutions and throughout Southeast Europe, cooperation with NATO partners and strengthening multilateral and bilateral cooperation.[29]
Government officials in charge of foreign policy include theMinister of Foreign and European Affairs, currentlyGordan Grlić-Radman, and thePresident of the Republic, currentlyZoran Milanović.
Croatia has established diplomatic relations with189 countries around the world. As of 2009, Croatia maintains a network of 51 embassies, 24 consulates and eight permanent diplomatic missions abroad. Furthermore, there are 52 foreign embassies and 69consulates in the Republic of Croatia in addition to offices of international organizations such as theEuropean Bank for Reconstruction and Development,International Organization for Migration,Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE),World Bank,World Health Organization,International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY),United Nations Development Programme,United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees andUNICEF.[30]
Republic of Croatia participates in the following international organizations:CE,CEI,EAPC,EBRD,ECE,EEA,EU,FAO,G11,IADB,IAEA,IBRD,ICAO,ICC,ICRM,IDA,IFAD,IFC,IFRCS,IHO,ILO,IMF,IMO,Inmarsat,Intelsat,Interpol,IOC,IOM,ISO,ITU,ITUC,NAM (observer[31][32]),NATO,OAS (observer),OPCW,OSCE,PCA,PFP,SECI,UN,UNAMSIL,UNCTAD,UNESCO,UNIDO,UNMEE,UNMOGIP,UPU,WCO,WHO,WIPO,WMO,WToO,WTO
There exists aPermanent Representative of Croatia to the United Nations.
Croatia receives support from donor programs of:
Between 1991 and 2003, the EBRD had directly invested a total of 1,212,039,000EUR into projects in Croatia.
In 1998, U.S. support to Croatia came through the Southeastern European Economic Development Program (SEED), whose funding in Croatia totaled $23.25 million. More than half of that money was used to fund programs encouraging sustainable returns of refugees and displaced persons. About one-third of the assistance was used for democratization efforts, and another 5% funded financial sector restructuring.
In 2003 USAID considered Croatia to be on a "glide path for graduation" along withBulgaria. Its funding from 2002 and 20024 included around $10 million for economic development, up to $5 million for the development of democratic institutions, about $5 million for the return of population affected by war and between 2 and 3 million dollars for the "mitigation of adverse social conditions and trends". A rising amount of funding is given to cross-cutting programs in anti-corruption, slightly under one million dollars.
The European Commission has proposed to assist Croatia's efforts to join the European Union with 245 million euros fromPHARE,ISPA andSAPARD aid programs over the course of 2005 and 2006.
Relations with neighbouring states have normalized somewhat since the breakup ofYugoslavia. Work has begun — bilaterally and within theStability Pact for South Eastern Europe since 1999 — on political and economic cooperation in the region.
Discussions continue between Croatia andBosnia and Herzegovina on various sections of the border, the longest border with another country for each of these countries. Sections of theUna river and villages at the base of MountPlješevica are in Croatia, while some are in Bosnia, which causes an excessive number of border crossings on a single route and impedes any serious development in the region. TheZagreb-Bihać-Split railway line is still closed for major traffic due to this issue. The border on the Una river betweenHrvatska Kostajnica on the northern, Croatian side of the river, andBosanska Kostajnica on the southern, Bosnian side, is also being discussed. A river island between the two towns is under Croatian control, but is also claimed by Bosnia. A shared border crossing point has been built and has been functioning since 2003, and is used without hindrance by either party.
The Herzegovinian municipality ofNeum in the south makes the southernmost part of Croatia an exclave and the two countries are negotiating special transit rules through Neum to compensate for that. Recently Croatia has opted to build abridge to the Pelješac peninsula to connect the Croatian mainland with the exclave but Bosnia and Herzegovina has protested that the bridge will close its access tointernational waters (although Croatian territory and territorial waters surround Bosnian-Herzegovinian territory and waters completely) and has suggested that the bridge must be higher than 55 meters for free passage of all types of ships. Negotiations are still being held.
Croatia and Montenegro have a largely latent border dispute over thePrevlaka peninsula, and maintain friendly relations.
The border betweenCroatia andSerbia in the area of theDanube isdisputed while at the same time the issue is not considered of the highest priority for either country in their bilateral relations.[33] The issue therefore only occasionally entered into in the public debate with other open issues being higher on the agenda, yet with some commentators fearing that the issue may once be used as an asymmetric pressure tool in theaccession of Serbia to the European Union.[34][35] While Serbia holds the opinion that thethalweg of the Danube valley and the centerline of the river represents the international border between the two countries, Croatia disagrees and claims that the international border lies along the boundaries of thecadastral municipalities located along the river—departing from the course at several points along a 140-kilometre (87 mi) section.[35] The cadastre-based boundary reflects the course of the Danube which existed in the 19th century, beforemeandering andhydrotechnical engineering works altered its course. The area size of the territory in dispute is reported variously, up to 140 square kilometres (54 square miles) and is uninhabited area of forests and islands.[35] Croatian and Serbian authorities have made only occasional attempts to resolve the issue with the establishment of a joint commission that rarely met and the 2018 statement by presidents of the two countries that the issue will be brought to international arbitration if agreement is not reached until 2020.[35]
Croatia andSlovenia have several land andmaritime boundary disputes, mainly in theGulf of Piran, regarding Slovenian access to international waters, a small number of pockets of land on the right-hand side of the riverDragonja, and around theSveta Gera peak. The two states contested the sovereign ownership of Yugoslav bankLjubljanska banka, which ended in Slovenia's favor. The status of Croatian depositors' savings in the bank remains an outstanding issue. Slovenia was disputing Croatia's claim to establish theEcological and Fisheries Protection Zone, an economic section of theAdriatic.
List of countries which Croatia maintains diplomatic relations with:
 | ||
|---|---|---|
| # | Country | Date[36] |
| 1 |  Germany | 15 January 1992 |
| 2 |  Austria | 15 January 1992 |
| 3 |  Italy | 17 January 1992 |
| 4 |  Hungary | 18 January 1992 |
| 5 |  Sweden | 29 January 1992 |
| 6 |  Switzerland | 30 January 1992 |
| 7 |  Denmark | 1 February 1992 |
| 8 |  Portugal | 3 February 1992 |
| 9 |  Liechtenstein | 4 February 1992 |
| 10 |  Slovenia | 6 February 1992 |
| — |  Holy See | 8 February 1992 |
| 11 |  Netherlands | 11 February 1992 |
| 12 |  Australia | 13 February 1992 |
| 13 |  Latvia | 14 February 1992 |
| 14 |  Ukraine | 18 February 1992 |
| 15 |  Finland | 19 February 1992 |
| 16 |  Norway | 20 February 1992 |
| 17 |  New Zealand | 25 February 1992 |
| 18 |  Estonia | 2 March 1992 |
| 19 |  Spain | 9 March 1992 |
| 20 |  Belgium | 10 March 1992 |
| 21 |  Paraguay | 13 March 1992 |
| 22 |  Lithuania | 18 March 1992 |
| 23 |  North Macedonia | 30 March 1992 |
| 24 |  Poland | 11 April 1992 |
| 25 |  Argentina | 13 April 1992 |
| 26 |  Chile | 15 April 1992 |
| 27 |  Iran | 18 April 1992 |
| 28 |  France | 24 April 1992 |
| 29 |  Luxembourg | 29 April 1992 |
| 30 |  Malaysia | 4 May 1992 |
| 31 |  Czech Republic | 11 May 1992[37] |
| 32 |  China | 13 May 1992 |
| 33 |  Russia | 25 May 1992 |
| 34 |  United Arab Emirates | 23 June 1992 |
| 35 |  United Kingdom | 24 June 1992 |
| 36 |  Morocco | 26 June 1992 |
| 37 |  Iceland | 30 June 1992 |
| 38 |  Malta | 30 June 1992 |
| 39 |  India | 9 July 1992 |
| 40 |  Sudan | 17 July 1992 |
| 41 |  Greece | 20 July 1992 |
| 42 |  Moldova | 20 July 1992 |
| 43 |  Bosnia and Herzegovina | 21 July 1992 |
| 44 |  United States | 11 August 1992 |
| 45 |  Bulgaria | 13 August 1992 |
| 46 |  Albania | 25 August 1992 |
| 47 |  Turkey | 26 August 1992 |
| 48 |  Romania | 29 August 1992 |
| 49 |  Indonesia | 3 September 1992 |
| 50 |  Thailand | 9 September 1992 |
| 51 |  Cuba | 23 September 1992 |
| 52 |  Belarus | 25 September 1992 |
| 53 |  Egypt | 1 October 1992 |
| 54 |  Algeria | 15 October 1992 |
| 55 |  Kazakhstan | 20 October 1992 |
| 56 |  South Korea | 18 November 1992 |
| 57 |  South Africa | 19 November 1992 |
| 58 |  Singapore | 23 November 1992 |
| 59 |  Bolivia | 26 November 1992 |
| 60 |  North Korea | 30 November 1992 |
| 61 |  Qatar | 5 December 1992 |
| 62 |  Mexico | 6 December 1992 |
| 63 |  Guatemala | 22 December 1992 |
| – |  Sovereign Military Order of Malta | 22 December 1992[38] |
| 64 |  Brazil | 23 December 1992 |
| 65 |  Slovakia | 1 January 1993 |
| 66 |  Nigeria | 7 January 1993 |
| 67 |  Peru | 12 January 1993 |
| 68 |  Yemen | 17 January 1993 |
| 69 |  Bahrain | 18 January 1993 |
| 70 |  Tunisia | 30 January 1993 |
| 71 |  Georgia | 1 February 1993 |
| 72 |  Cyprus | 4 February 1993 |
| 73 |  Venezuela | 8 February 1993 |
| 74 |  San Marino | 11 February 1993 |
| 75 |  Ghana | 17 February 1993 |
| 76 |  Philippines | 25 February 1993 |
| 77 |  Japan | 5 March 1993 |
| 78 |  Mongolia | 10 March 1993 |
| 79 |  Canada | 14 April 1993 |
| 80 |  Uruguay | 4 May 1993 |
| 81 |  São Tomé and Príncipe | 23 May 1993 |
| 82 |  Tanzania | 2 July 1993 |
| 83 |  Samoa | 8 March 1994 |
| 84 |  Jordan | 29 June 1994 |
| 85 |  Vietnam | 1 July 1994 |
| 86 |  Armenia | 8 July 1994[39] |
| 87 |  Pakistan | 20 July 1994 |
| 88 |  Cape Verde | 19 August 1994 |
| 89 |  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 7 October 1994 |
| 90 |  Kuwait | 8 October 1994 |
| 91 |  Angola | 16 November 1994 |
| 92 |  Lebanon | 5 December 1994 |
| 93 |  Azerbaijan | 26 January 1995 |
| 94 |  Ireland | 27 January 1995 |
| 95 |  Uzbekistan | 6 February 1995 |
| 96 |  Colombia | 25 April 1995 |
| 97 |  Andorra | 28 April 1995 |
| 98 |  Burkina Faso | 18 May 1995 |
| 99 |  Saudi Arabia | 8 June 1995 |
| 100 |  Zambia | 20 September 1995 |
| 101 |  Ethiopia | 17 October 1995 |
| 102 |  Ivory Coast | 17 October 1995 |
| 103 |  Costa Rica | 19 October 1995 |
| 104 |  Guinea-Bissau | 19 October 1995 |
| 105 |  Afghanistan | 3 January 1996 |
| 106 |  Belize | 23 January 1996 |
| 107 |  Ecuador | 22 February 1996 |
| 108 |  Laos | 4 March 1996 |
| 109 |  Nicaragua | 29 March 1996 |
| 110 |  Panama | 12 June 1996 |
| 111 |  Turkmenistan | 2 July 1996 |
| 112 |  Mozambique | 23 August 1996 |
| 113 |  Serbia | 9 September 1996 |
| 114 |  Cambodia | 10 September 1996 |
| 115 |  Jamaica | 9 October 1996 |
| 116 |  Kyrgyzstan | 23 December 1996 |
| 117 |  Sri Lanka | 14 February 1997 |
| 118 |  Maldives | 8 April 1997 |
| 119 |  El Salvador | 24 June 1997[40] |
| 120 |  Oman | 30 June 1997 |
| 121 |  Barbados | 11 July 1997 |
| 122 |  Fiji | 14 July 1997 |
| 123 |  Syria | 29 August 1997 |
| 124 |  Mauritius | 3 September 1997 |
| 125 |  Israel | 4 September 1997 |
| 126 |  Seychelles | 30 September 1997 |
| 127 |  Senegal | 1 October 1997 |
| 128 |  Papua New Guinea | 5 December 1997 |
| 129 |  Guinea | 8 December 1997 |
| 130 |  Saint Lucia | 10 December 1997 |
| 131 |  Suriname | 17 December 1997 |
| 132 |  Bangladesh | 18 December 1997 |
| 133 |  Nepal | 6 February 1998 |
| 134 |  Brunei | 1 May 1998 |
| 135 |  Namibia | 22 June 1998 |
| 136 |  Gambia | 16 October 1998 |
| 137 |  Lesotho | 6 November 1998 |
| 138 |  Malawi | 13 November 1998 |
| 139 |  Zimbabwe | 12 February 1999 |
| 140 |  Uganda | 10 March 1999 |
| 141 |  Tajikistan | 1 April 1999 |
| 142 |  Eritrea | 4 June 1999 |
| 143 |  Antigua and Barbuda | 15 June 1999 |
| 144 |  Comoros | 29 June 1999 |
| 145 |  Myanmar | 3 September 1999 |
| 146 |  Chad | 17 September 1999 |
| 147 |  Honduras | 20 September 1999 |
| 148 |  Federated States of Micronesia | 29 September 1999 |
| 149 |  Haiti | 15 October 1999 |
| 150 |  Libya | 30 March 2000 |
| 151 |  Vanuatu | 18 April 2000 |
| 152 |  Grenada | 19 May 2000 |
| 153 |  Nauru | 4 December 2000 |
| 154 |  Dominican Republic | 5 February 2001 |
| 155 |  Benin | 26 March 2001 |
| 156 |  Mali | 13 September 2001 |
| 157 |  Gabon | 22 October 2001 |
| 158 |  Cameroon | 18 October 2002 |
| 159 |  Timor-Leste | 5 February 2003 |
| 160 |  Sierra Leone | 23 July 2003 |
| 161 |  Mauritania | 24 November 2004 |
| 162 |  Kenya | 1 December 2004 |
| 163 |  Iraq | 4 January 2005 |
| 164 |  Botswana | 9 September 2005 |
| 165 |  Montenegro | 7 July 2006 |
| 166 |  Guyana | 25 September 2006[41] |
| 167 |  Madagascar | 27 September 2006 |
| 168 |  Republic of the Congo | 10 May 2007 |
| 169 |  Equatorial Guinea | 18 October 2007 |
| 170 |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | 19 October 2007 |
| 171 |  Monaco | 14 December 2007 |
| – |  Kosovo | 30 June 2008 |
| 172 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 14 December 2011 |
| 173 |  Solomon Islands | 18 April 2012 |
| 174 |  Dominica | 30 April 2013 |
| 175 |  Palau | 26 September 2015 |
| 176 |  Saint Kitts and Nevis | 27 May 2016 |
| 177 |  Kiribati | 26 August 2016 |
| 178 |  Bahamas | 31 January 2017 |
| 179 |  Djibouti | 22 May 2017 |
| 180 |  Rwanda | 15 February 2018 |
| 181 |  Eswatini | 5 April 2019 |
| 182 |  Marshall Islands | 24 September 2019 |
| 183 |  Tuvalu | 2 November 2020 |
| 184 |  Burundi | 14 May 2021 |
| 185 |  South Sudan | 16 November 2021 |
| 186 |  Somalia | 4 February 2022 |
| 187 |  Central African Republic | 18 September 2023 |
| 188 |  Togo | 18 September 2023 |
| 189 |  Liberia | 26 September 2024 |
| Organization | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
 European Union | See2013 enlargement of the European Union Croatia joined theEuropean Union as a full member on 1 July 2013. | |
 NATO | SeeCroatia–NATO relations Croatia joinedNATO as a full member on 1 April 2009. |
| Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Algeria | 15 October 1992 | |
| Angola | 16 November 1994 | |
| Benin | 26 March 2001 | |
| Burkina Faso | 18 May 1995 | |
| Egypt | 1 October 1992 |
|
| Kenya | 22 May 1992 | |
| Lesotho | 6 November 1998 | |
| Libya | 30 March 2000 | |
| South Africa | 19 November 1992 | |
| Tanzania | 2 July 1993 |
| Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | 20 September 1999 | |
| Argentina | 13 April 1992 | SeeArgentina–Croatia relations
|
| Brazil | 23 December 1992 | |
| Canada | 14 April 1993 | SeeCanada–Croatia relations
|
| Chile | 15 April 1992 | SeeChile–Croatia relations
|
| Colombia | 25 April 1995 | |
| Ecuador | 22 February 1996 | |
| Guyana | 25 February 2003 |
|
| Jamaica | 9 October 1996 | |
| Mexico | 6 December 1992 | SeeCroatia–Mexico relations
|
| Panama | 12 June 1996 |
|
| Suriname | 17 December 1997 | |
| United States of America | 11 August 1992 | SeeCroatia–United States relations
|
| Uruguay | 4 May 1993 | SeeCroatia–Uruguay relations
|
| Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Armenia | 8 July 1994 | SeeArmenia–Croatia relations
|
| Azerbaijan | 26 January 1995 | SeeAzerbaijan–Croatia relations
|
| China (People's Republic) | 13 May 1992 | See also:China–Croatia relations
|
| Georgia | 1 February 1993 | See Croatia–Georgia relations |
| India | 9 July 1992 | |
| Iran | 18 April 1992 | SeeCroatia–Iran relations |
| Iraq | 4 January 2005 | |
| Israel | 4 September 1997 | SeeCroatia–Israel relations
|
| Japan | 5 March 1993 | |
| Jordan | 29 June 1994 | |
| Kazakhstan | 20 October 1992 |
|
| Kuwait | 10 August 1994 |
|
| Laos | 4 March 1996 |
|
| Lebanon | 5 December 1994 | |
| Mongolia | 10 March 1993 |
|
| North Korea | 30 November 1992 | |
| Pakistan | 20 July 1994 |
|
| Qatar | 5 December 1992 | SeeCroatia–Qatar relations |
| Saudi Arabia | 8 June 1995 | SeeCroatia–Saudi Arabia relations |
| South Korea | 18 November 1992 | SeeCroatia–South Korea relations The Establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Croatia and the South Korea began on 18 November 1992.
|
| Sri Lanka | 14 February 1997 | |
| Syria | 29 August 1997 |
|
| Tajikistan | 1 April 1999 |
|
| Thailand | 9 September 1992 | |
| Turkey | 26 August 1992 |
|
| Turkmenistan | 2 July 1996 | See Croatia–Turkmenistan relations
|
| United Arab Emirates | 23 June 1992 |
| Country | Formal relations began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Albania | 25 August 1992 | SeeAlbania–Croatia relations |
| Austria | 15 January 1992 | SeeAustria–Croatia relations
|
| Belarus | 25 September 1992 | SeeBelarus–Croatia relations
|
| Belgium | 10 March 1992 | SeeBelgium–Croatia relations |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 21 July 1992 | SeeBosnia and Herzegovina–Croatia relations
|
| Bulgaria | 13 August 1992 | SeeBulgaria–Croatia relations |
| Cyprus | 4 February 1993 |
|
| Czech Republic | 1 January 1993 | SeeCroatia–Czech Republic relations
|
| Denmark | 1 February 1992 |
|
| Estonia | 2 March 1992 | |
| Finland | 19 February 1992 | |
| France | 24 April 1992 |
|
| Germany | 15 January 1992 |
|
| Greece | 20 July 1992 |
|
| Holy See | 8 February 1992 |
|
| Hungary | 18 January 1992 |
|
| Iceland | 30 June 1992 |
|
| Ireland | 27 January 1995 |
|
| Italy | 17 January 1992 |
|
| Kosovo | 30 June 2008 | |
| Lithuania | 18 March 1992 | SeeCroatia–Lithuania relations
|
| Luxembourg | 29 April 1992 | |
| Malta | 30 June 1992 | |
| Monaco | 14 December 2007 | |
| Montenegro | 7 July 2006 | SeeCroatia–Montenegro relations
|
| Netherlands | 23 April 1992 | SeeCroatia–Netherlands relations |
| North Macedonia | 30 March 1992 | SeeCroatia–North Macedonia relations
|
| Norway | 20 February 1992 | |
| Poland | 11 April 1992 |
|
| Romania | 29 August 1992 |
|
| Russia | 25 May 1992 |
|
| San Marino | 11 February 1993 |
|
| Serbia | 9 September 1996 then asFR Yugoslavia and includingMontenegro | SeeCroatia–Serbia relations
|
| Slovakia | 1 January 1993 | SeeCroatia–Slovakia relations
|
| Slovenia | 6 February 1992 | SeeCroatia–Slovenia relations
|
| Spain | 9 March 1992 | SeeCroatia–Spain relations
|
| Sweden | 29 January 1992 | SeeCroatia–Sweden relations
|
| Switzerland | 30 January 1992 | |
| Ukraine | 18 February 1992 | |
| United Kingdom | 24 June 1992 | SeeCroatia–United Kingdom relations Croatia establisheddiplomatic relations with the United Kingdom on 24 June 1992.
Both countries share common membership of theCouncil of Europe,European Court of Human Rights, theInternational Criminal Court,NATO,OSCE, and theWorld Trade Organization. Bilaterally the two countries have a Double Taxation Agreement,[160] and an Investment Agreement.[161]
|
| Country | Formal Relations Began | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 13 February 1992 |
|
| Nauru | 14 December 2000 | |
| New Zealand | 25 February 1992 |
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Establishment of diplomatic relations: 04.01.2005.
The Mongol way now led via Lake Balaton to a crossing of the Drava river into Croatia. The Mongols soon captured Zagreb, and before very long they were in ...[permanent dead link]
{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)[permanent dead link]The diplomatic relations between Belarus and Croatia were established on September 25, 1992. There is no Belarusian Embassy to Croatia and there is no Embassy of Croatia to Belarus. The states maintain their bilateral relations through their embassies to Russia.[permanent dead link]
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