Croatia Considers Opening a Consulate in Samarkand

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — A delegation of members of the Committee on the Constitution, Rules of Procedure and Political System of the Parliament of Croatia visited Samarkand as part of an official trip to Uzbekistan.

During a meeting with Samarkand hokim Fazliddin Umarov, the sides discussed prospects for developing bilateral cooperation between Samarkand and Dubrovnik, as well as the possible opening of a Croatian consulate in Samarkand.

The Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Croatia to Uzbekistan, Refik Šabanović, noted that the visit reflects the desire of both countries to elevate their cooperation to a new level.

The talks also addressed the opening of a Croatian embassy in Tashkent and the granting of sister-city status to Samarkand and Dubrovnik.

According to UzA, Samarkand and Dubrovnik share similar tourism profiles. Despite having a population of just over 40,000, Dubrovnik welcomes around four million tourists annually. The parties believe that exchanging experience in tourism and urban infrastructure would be mutually beneficial, helping to improve services to international standards while promoting the cities’ unique historical character globally.

The meeting also explored cooperation in transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and information technologies.

Fazliddin Umarov emphasized that, under the Uzbekistan–2030 strategy, Samarkand aims to increase the number of tourists to 10 million, and that learning from Dubrovnik’s experience will be an important element in modernizing the city’s infrastructure.

As part of the visit, the Croatian delegation toured Samarkand’s landmarks and cultural heritage sites, further contributing to stronger bilateral ties and the development of the region’s tourism potential.