With Croatia working towards becoming an OECD member, Ireland having become a strong economic actor, and both of us members of the EU, creates the foundation for an increased bilateral economic relationship
Ireland is in second place in the European Union in terms of GDP per capita, which is 79,300 EUR. As the ambassador of such a successful country, H.E. Wendy Dorman-Smith for Diplomacy&Commerce magazine reveals how much interest Irish companies have in Croatia and in which areas. After more than half a year in Zagreb, she also reveals to us the projects that the Embassy is planning for cultural rapprochement and education.
- The world we live in is changing rapidly. Ireland and Croatia have found their way within the EU, and although Ireland is not a member of NATO, they do cooperate. How would you assess the relations between the two countries?
Ireland has been a member of what is now the EU for more than 50 years, having been part of the first enlargement, and Croatia has a little more than a decade of membership behind it after the EU’s 7th enlargement. Ireland’s development and advancement since joining the EU has shown how much a country can benefit from EU membership. We were very pleased to help Croatia during its path to membership, and we continue to have excellent bilateral relations and work together as EU members. Last month, we marked the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Ireland and Croatia are two of the smaller EU countries, one on the western periphery, the other in the east, but the common challenges bring us closer together and we cooperate to ensure that those challenges are best addressed within the EU. Ireland is not a NATO member, due to our tradition of military neutrality, However, we are not politically neutral and take security issues very seriously. Ireland joined NATO’s Partnership for Peace programme in 1999 and more recently we have joined a new Individually Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP) with NATO in order to increase our capabilities at countering potential threats to undersea infrastructure. We all share a need to feel secure and cooperation that strengthens our security is welcome.
2. Ireland is in second place in the European Union in terms of GDP per capita, which is 79,300 EUR, which is significantly above the EU average. Ireland’s share in the total EU GDP is 3%. This is also reflected in Irish investments abroad. How would you assess the economic relations between the two countries?
Whilst Ireland and Croatia have not had a particularly strong bilateral economic relationship over the years, that is improving, and I shall be working to ensure it hopefully continues to do so. There are already some Irish companies that have established themselves here in Croatia. I have had the pleasure of visiting DCT, Digital Construction Technologies, which is based in Zagreb, and learned about the really interesting work they do as they aim to enhance how projects are designed, built, and managed. And when I travel to Osijek later this year I am looking forward to visiting H&MV Engineering who opened an office there about 18 months ago, and learning more about their work. Together with our colleagues in Enterprise Ireland, I look forward to making connections and to establishing more relationships between Croatian and Irish businesses. We definitely see potential for development and expansion in our bilateral economic relationship, and I see a willingness and indeed eagerness on both sides to make things happen.
3. What areas of investment are interesting to Irish investors and is that two-way cooperation? What are the figures when we talk about investments, ventures, trade…?
In Croatia and across this region, Irish companies are primarily involved in software development, high-value business services and project management / engineering operations. Ireland’s Central Statistics Office have recently released the trade in goods figures for 2024, and whilst bilateral trade in goods has increased overall, from EUR 114 million in 2023 to EUR 162 million last year, the increase is in Ireland’s favour. I believe the significant bilateral trade in services is also growing, and we are awaiting the 2024 figures. It would be great to see Croatian exports to Ireland increase as well, and hopefully we can continue to increase overall bilateral trade in goods and also in services.
4. A large number of Croatians have moved to Ireland to live and work, thus contributing to the development of your country. Do you know how many Croatians live and work in Ireland today and what is your opinion on this?
A significant number of Croatians moved to Ireland after Croatia joined the EU, they have established themselves there and become a part of their various communities, and are contributing to Ireland in many different ways. We don’t have exact current figures but I see many benefits in this free movement of people. On a very practical level, recent reports show that significant remittances come back to family in Croatia from Croatians in Ireland, so Croatia is also benefitting financially. And less tangibly, we all learn from each other, so Croatians who have moved to Ireland spread the word about Croatia, and they may bring novel ways of doing things and new ideas to share in their lives and workplaces in Ireland. And when they return to Croatia, as some are doing, they can bring new ideas back here, and sometimes bring business with them too. They can return with different ways of doing things, knowledge, skills, contacts and sometimes with the financial capability and an entrepreneurial spirit, which is strong in Ireland, to maybe start projects of their own here, which will further benefit Croatians and Croatia.
5. How well do the Irish know Croatia, which is recognized in the world as a tourist power of the Mediterranean, considering its size and population?
I would say that the Irish know Croatia very well, both as a tourist destination from personal experience and from friends, and also from the Croatians living in Ireland who we have mentioned. The majority of Irish tourists go to the coast, although with the number of family and friends who started making plans to visit me in Zagreb as soon as they heard I was coming here, we may increase the numbers here! Whilst the Croatian coast and the islands are of course stunningly beautiful, and will deservedly always be a popular destination, the country has so much more to offer and I hope Irish people – and not just my family and friends! – explore and discover more of the country. The numbers of Irish nationals travelling to Croatia is continuing to rebound post pandemic, and last year 124,000 visited, an increase from the previous year. Whilst Ireland is not in the top 20 origin countries for tourists to Croatia, Ireland is a small country so the numbers who come here is a significant number for us.
6. What are the Embassy’s plans to strengthen relations between the two countries, especially in the areas of culture and education? Can you tell us about some of your plans?
Culture and education are two very important areas for Ireland. I am lucky to have come to an Embassy which was already active in both areas, so I am building on a strong base. One of the great things about being Irish is that there are many people worldwide who have an amazing affinity for all things Irish. That definitely holds true here in Croatia, with the added benefit of many direct connections with Ireland also. It was a small group of enthusiasts who added Croatia to the list of countries celebrating Bloomsday every year. I was not here when they started their project more than a decade ago, but I am definitely going to Pula this June to celebrate the life and works of James Joyce, who left Ireland and went to this historic port city at the beginning of the 20th century. We also celebrated Joyce in Zagreb last year with readings and Irish dancing. Croatia has had a number of Irish dance groups over the years that have performed all over the country and I understand have been part of television programmes here.Ireland’s newest public holiday is St Brigid’s Day, and I was pleased to welcome local Irish dancing and culture group Irski Ples to our first St Brigid’s Day celebration in Zagreb earlier this year. The Embassy helped toestablish the Croatian Celts GAA club a few years ago and they play against other GAA clubs in the region. The GAA, short for Gaelic Athletic Association, promotes Gaelic games and culture and is Ireland’s largest sporting organisation, with clubs around the world as well as in every parish at home. The Zagreb club has hosted European GAA clubs, from Maastricht and Eindhoven, Prague and Bratislava, and expect to be hosting more in the near future. In addition, they are no strangers to travel themselves, with participation in several Central Eastern European Championships. Coming back to Joyce – but also to other Irish authors – we have added to the bookshelves of a number of libraries and schools across the country and we also promote and support events involving Irish authors that come here. I really enjoyed atending the first Lopud Book Bridge event last September where I got to meet some wonderful Irish and Croatian authors and have added to my reading list. I am looking forward to attending the event again later this year. In March, we are going to continue our cooperation with the Kino Edison in Karlovac and show two Irish films. Hopefully, we’ll continue to be partners with the Kino Edison in the years to come. Staying with film, we have not had a film festival over the last few years, but we are always looking for a partner to work with. The Embassy has a good relationship with LADO and have had a joint project in the past. I would love if we can find another opportunity in the coming years to showcase our culture jointly. On education, we regularly make presentations to local schools in Croatia, sometimes they visit the Embassy and sometimes we travel to visit them. We have a good relationship with some of the Croatian universities and are always looking for opportunities to build links between education institutions in Croatia and Ireland, whether universities or other specialist schools.
7. You have been enjoying yourself in Zagreb for some time now, besides work. When your friends ask you about Croatia, what do you tell them? Is there something you particularly like about a region, gastronomy…?
I am very much enjoying my time here. The first thing I tell friends is that the people are great. I feel that there are many similarities in personality and outlook between Croatians and Irish, which may be why I am so comfortable here already. I have been remiss in not studying Croatian more, and I love that most people here have excellent English and I can have random interactions and conversations. I love the antiquity of places like Split, Dubrovnik, Pula and Varaždin, to name a few. I am also looking forward to having more visitors and taking them to visit places as I discover them. I am really enjoying being able to drive around the country, using the excellent road network to explore out of the way places. And of course I have barely started to explore the islands. Being from the island of Ireland myself, and having grown up beside the sea, I love the coast, the sea and visiting islands. I have been lucky to have managed to visit many islands around the world, and I’m really looking forward to exploring some of the Croatian islands. Before I arrived everyone was telling me about all the wonderful meat dishes here, but I don’t eat meat. What people didn’t say is that there is really good vegetarian food, and of course the fish and seafood is amazing. I love shopping at markets for fruit and vegetables and trying to practice my Croatian numbers.