Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman met with the Japanese Minister of Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa on Friday, July 21, 2023. The ministers discussed the strengthening of friendly relations between the two countries, who mark the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations this year. This was further strengthened by the recent opening of the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Croatia in Osaka.
The ministers signed the Air Traffic Agreement, which is of great importance because it enables the establishment of a regular direct air route and more intensive economic cooperation between Croatia and Japan. Direct air traffic will significantly contribute to the tourist exchange between the two countries and facilitate mutual economic and other forms of cooperation. Equally, this will contribute to strengthening Croatia’s cooperation with Japan and other countries in the Far East, especially member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). – said the press release of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.
Although this agreement represents significant progress in establishing direct flights between the two countries and establishing a legal framework for their traffic, it does not mean that the opening of the air route is inevitable. Nevertheless, it is to be expected that talks will follow at the political level with potential airlines, in this case, most likely with Japan Airlines (JAL), which is the national Japanese airline, or perhaps with ANA – All Nippon Airways, for which Zagreb could be an interesting destination due to possible connections with Croatia Airlines, given that both carriers are members of the Star Alliance.
