Following Croatia's independence from SFR Yugoslavia in June 1991, Mexico recognized the new independent nation on 22 May 1992. Diplomatic relations among the two countries were officially established on 6 December 1992. Since their establishment, diplomatic relations have been limited. In March 2002, Croatian PresidentStjepan Mesić visited Mexico to attend the International Conference on Financing for Development in Monterrey. This was the first and highest level visit paid to Mexico by a Croatian head of state. In October 2008, Mexican Secretary of Foreign AffairsPatricia Espinosa Cantellano paid an official visit to Croatia, which was the first visit at ministerial level by a Mexican official to Croatia since the establishment of diplomatic relations. In 2016, Croatia suggested it may open a resident embassy in Mexico to facilitate relations and trade between both nations.
Both nations have a signed a few bilateral agreements such as a Memorandum of Understanding for the Establishment of a Mechanism of Consultation in Matters of Mutual Interest ; Agreement on the Elimination of Visa Requirements for Diplomatic and Official Passport Holders and an Agreement on Educational, Cultural and Sports Cooperation.
Croats in Mexico
There is a small immigrant community of Croats in Mexico, mostly in the capital and its surroundings. Mexican cuisine, music and soap operas are popular in Croatia. Los Caballeros is the first Croatian band that performs traditional Mexican music. In 2000, it successfully participated in the 7th International Mariachi and Charreria meeting in Guadalajara. Croatian sailor and soldier Vinko Paletin joined the expedition that was led by Francisco de Montejo on the Yucatán Peninsula. As a member of the Mexican Dominican Province of St. James, Paletin had been preparing to become a priest in a Mexican Monetary of St. Dominic. At the end of summer of 1546, he returned to Europe. 18th century Croatian Jesuit missionaryFerdinand Konščak Fernando Consag) had become one of the most famous researchers of Mexican peninsula Baja California, proving that it was a peninsula. Konščak was a distinguished mathematician, astronomer, naturalist, geologist, builder of roads and embankments and supervisor of all the Jesuit reductions in Mexico. Small Mexican island Roca Consag was named after him. Croatian Jesuit priestIvan Ratkaj came to present-day Mexican province of Chihuahua in 1680. He has written three very detailed reports about his trip, landscape, as well as about life, nature and customs of indigenous people. These are the oldest descriptions of this region. With his third travelogue, Ratkaj enclosed a map of the province marked with latitude and longitude, parts of the world, missionary stations and Spanish forts, habitats of provincial Indian tribes and rivers and mountains. It is also one of the first mapping works by Croatian authors, and the oldest map of that Mexican province. Map was made in 1683 as a drawing on paper. The original is kept in the Central Jesuit Archives in Rome. Small copy was published by EJ Burrus in La obra de la Provincia cartografico Mexicana de la Compañía de Jesús, 1567-1967, Madrid 1967, P. II. carta Nr. 16.
Economic cooperation
In 1997, Mexico signed a Free Trade Agreement with the European Union. In 2017, trade between Croatia and Mexico totaled $44 million USD. In 2015 Croatia exported to Mexico goods worth $25.4 million and imported from it goods worth $20.6 million. Croatia's main exports to Mexico include: molding machines and apparatus, leather and varistors of metal oxides. Mexico's main exports to Croatia include: transport vehicles, machines and apparatus for wrapping merchandise and seat parts. Mexican multinational companies such as América Móvil and Cemex operate in Croatia.
Diplomatic missions
Croatia is accredited to Mexico from its embassy in Washington, D.C., United States and maintains an honorary consulate in Mexico City.
