Minister Grlić Radman in Baghdad: Strengthening Croatia-Iraq political dialogue, economic cooperation

Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman paid an official visit to the Republic of Iraq on 25-26 October 2025, at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Fuad Hussein.

The visit followed Minister Hussein's visit to Zagreb last year, during which the two ministries signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Political Consultations.

During his stay in Baghdad, Grlić Radman met with the President of the Republic of Iraq, Latif Rashid; Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani; Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Fuad Hussein; Minister of Defence Thabet Mohammad Al-Abbasi; Minister of the Interior Abdul Amir al-Shammari; Minister of Environment Halla Mustafa Al-Askari; and Deputy Minister of Electricity Mohammed Nimaa Al-Tufaili.

He also met with the European Union Ambassador to Iraq, Klemens Semtner, visited the NATO Mission in Iraq where he met with Croatian troops, and delivered a lecture to future Iraqi diplomats at the Institute of Training Leaders for the New Ambassadors.

In their discussions, Grlić Radman and his interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the progress of bilateral relations and confirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening cooperation. Particular emphasis was placed on economic and energy cooperation, as well as on the defence industry and demining - areas in which Croatian companies have already achieved notable results.

The minister highlighted the ongoing projects of the Croatian company Končar, which is contributing to the reconstruction of the Haditha hydropower plant, and commended the achievements of DOK-ING and HS Produkt, which provide advanced technological solutions in the fields of security and demining.

"Croatia is interested in further strengthening cooperation with Iraq - a country of great potential and an important partner in the region. Our shared goal is a stable, secure, and prosperous Iraq," Grlić Radman emphasized.

The talks also covered regional and international issues, including the situation in the Middle East and Iraq's cooperation with the European Union. Croatia expressed full support for the efforts of the Iraqi Government to promote dialogue, peace, and de-escalation in the region, and reaffirmed its commitment to deepening relations between the EU and Iraq.

Grlić Radman underlined that Croatia and Iraq share the experience of post-war reconstruction and that Croatia can offer its expertise in demining, infrastructure rehabilitation, and institution-building.

He also recalled Croatia's long-standing humanitarian engagement in Iraq, including mine-awareness education for children and the cooperation between the Croatian Mine Action Centre and Iraqi institutions. He particularly highlighted the visit of a Croatian Mine Action Centre delegation led by Đurđa Adlešić in 2018, which reaffirmed Croatia's enduring support to Iraq in the field of humanitarian demining.

The minister was accompanied by representatives of Croatian companies DOK-ING, HS Produkt, and Končar, further underscoring the strong economic interest and potential for enhanced cooperation between the two countries.

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