Croatia and Canada are friends and partners with growing trade ties, dedicated to advancing their shared values and facing the future challenges together, the two countries’ ambassadors said on Friday, marking 25 years of diplomatic relations between the countries.

Croatian Abassador to Canada, Marica Matkovic, and Canadian Ambassador to Croatia, Daniel Maksiymiuk, issued a joint statement marking the occasion.

“Today, our countries are allies in NATO, committed to collective security and promoting peace around the world. This commitment is even more profound given the challenges Croatia faced during the 1990s and Canada’s peacekeeping efforts in Southeastern Europe,” they said.

They added that both countries were champions of open markets and economies, as well as trading relations that advance the values of transparency and sustainability.

“We are partners in CETA, the most ambitious and progressive trade agreement ever made, and Croatia was one of the first EU members to ratify it,” they said.

“Our excellent bilateral relations are enriched by a vibrant and dynamic community of Croatian-Canadians, many of whom are professionally active in both countries, who contribute to Canada’s diversity and connect our two countries even more closely,” they said, adding that the two countries’ cooperation has led to many achievements in the fields of multilateral diplomacy, security and defence, trade, research, and culture.