Saudi Arabia's foreign minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, said on Wednesday his country should intensify economic cooperation with Croatia and be more active in Croatia business-wise.

Prince Faisal is the first Saudi foreign minister visiting Croatia. In Zagreb, he met with Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic-Radman.

Minister Faisal said he and his Croatian counterpart discussed “how Saudi companies could be more active in Croatia.”

Zagreb and Riyadh are expected to sign a general cooperation agreement soon, which Grlic-Radman said “will benefit our countries.” He will pay a return visit to his Saudi counterpart this year, on which occasion an economic forum will be organised in Saudi Arabia.

“Croatia attaches great importance to this first visit as an important step towards intensifying our relations,” Grlic-Radman said.

Croatia and Saudi Arabia are “friendly countries, without outstanding issues” and with “the potential to advance economic relations,” he added.

Minister Faisal said the Saudi Vision 2030 envisaged diversification of the economy, with emphasis on tourism.

“Croatia is very experienced in tourism, considering its beautiful coast,” he said, adding that with its “experience and experts” Croatia could cooperate with Saudi Arabia on that front also.

Besides economic cooperation, the two ministers discussed the situation in the Middle East and Southeast Europe. Grlic-Radman thanked his Saudi counterpart for sending 11.5 tons of face masks to Croatia during the pandemic.

He said Croatia “has always treated Islam with the greatest respect” and that other countries had recognized “Croatia’s path of successful religious coexistence.”

The Saudi minister is also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic.

Croatia and Saudi Arabia are evidently intensifying diplomatic relations as the Saudi minister for Islamic affairs, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Sheikh, was in Zagreb last November, which was the first visit by a Saudi minister to Croatia.