Zagreb, June 17 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Croatia will play a crucial role in securing a favourable Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union as well as enhanced trade between India and Croatia, said Ambassador of India to Croatia, Arun Goel, on Tuesday.

Speaking to ANI, ahead of the PM's first-ever visit to Croatia, Goel said the visit can be seen as a pivotal step in strengthening India's engagement with EU partners.

Goel, noting the imbalance in bilateral trade between the two nations, stated that the scope of growth in trade in both directions was immense.

"If we look at the current trade numbers between India and Croatia, it is growing year to year; as of today, Croatian exports are something like USD 27 ...