Qatar has been an important partner for Croatia for a host of reasons, according to Ivo
Josipovic, a former President of the Eastern European country.

"We are looking forward to strengthening our partnerships with Qatar in a number of areas," Josipovic, who is on a brief visit in Doha, told Gulf Times.

While explaining the reasons for his optimism to strengthen further the bi-lateral relations between Qatar and Croatia, Josipovic, who is an academic, composer and well-known writer said Qatar was the first Gulf country to open an embassy in Croatia (2013) and his nation's first embassy of this region was set up in Doha in November 2012.

Quoting Tomislav Bosnjak, the Croatian ambassador to Qatar, the former President said there has been increasing travels between the two countries since Croatia opened the embassy in Qatar.

While hailing the activities of Croatia in Qatar, Josipovic said their country has good reasons to feel happy about his compatriots' contributions to the development of Qatar. "Our engineers have completed a number of major infrastructural works in Qatar, including a large interchange on Salwa road and 20km of an important road."

Ambassador Bosnjak said Croatia-headquartered Constructor, a top level construction firm, well-known for building bridges and roads in Europe, constructed the major Industrial interchange on Salwa road and also the main road connecting the area with both the western and eastern sides of the Salwa highway which leads to the only international land border of Qatar.

While explaining the activities of his country's professionals in the construction sector in Qatar, the former president said the Croatian Technology and Business Association, one of the flagship construction bodies, has more than 400 professionals in Qatar.

Josipovic also remembered that Qatar was the first Gulf country to launch a direct flight from this region to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.

Qatar Airways is operating 10 direct flights a week to Zagreb.

The 59-year-old former president said their country's superior skills and expertise in building ships, military equipment, automobile and locomotive manufacturing and developing heavy engineering equipment and generators have been acknowledged at the world level over the years and there is good level of `functional co-operation' between Qatar and Croatia in different areas of defence.

The former Croatian president who is in Qatar on an invitation from HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, said he has enough reasons to be hopeful that Qatar would help his country meet effectively its long-time energy and oil requirements in coming years.