Croatia and India wish to improve bilateral relations, notably cultural cooperation, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Indian Council for Cultural Relations Director General Dinesh Patnaik said on Monday.

They met in Zagreb to discuss the development of the relations between the two countries, notably through the 2019-22 cultural exchange programme between the two governments, and preparations for an international Roma conference to take place in Zagreb in April, the government said in a press release.

Plenkovic said he wished for the bilateral relations to intensify, adding that the EU-India strategic partnership which began in 2018 and the future agreements currently being negotiated created better conditions for deepening economic cooperation between Croatia and India.

Patniak said India was planning numerous activities to bring its rich cultural legacy closer to Croatian citizens.

Plenkovic said he was pleased the international Roma conference was being prepared by the Croatian and Indian governments together, adding that the Croatian government pursues a policy of inclusion towards all ethnic minorities.

Croatian Roma MP Veljko Kajtazi, who attended the meeting, said a lot had been done to improve the status of the Roma community in Croatia and in implementing the Roma Operational Programme.

The common priority is to continue to work on even better Roma integration in Croatian society, he added.