On July 14, the French Embassy in Croatia hosted its annual Bastille Day reception at Zagreb’s Esplanade Hotel, bringing together a wide range of guests to celebrate the enduring friendship between France and Croatia.
More than 600 attendees, including Croatian government officials, members of the diplomatic community, business leaders, and personalities from the cultural and public sectors, took part in this prestigious event, which has become one of the highlights of Zagreb’s diplomatic calendar.
In his address, French Ambassador Fabien Fieschi emphasized the importance of maintaining strong ties between France and Croatia at a time of growing international uncertainty. He underlined that the close cooperation between the two countries, particularly within the European Union and other international organizations, continues to strengthen their shared commitment to stability, dialogue, and peace.
The Ambassador also recalled the signing of the 2026–2028 Action Plan for the implementation of the French-Croatian Strategic Partnership, signed in Paris on 8 December 2025 during the official visit of Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Describing the document as the compass guiding bilateral cooperation over the coming years, he noted that it provides a clear framework for deepening collaboration in areas ranging from security and defence to economic relations, innovation, education and culture. Beyond the institutional messages, Ambassador Fieschi also used the occasion to bid farewell to Croatia ahead of his appointment to a new diplomatic post. Thanking Croatian authorities, partners and friends for their trust and cooperation throughout his tenure, he expressed his confidence that the strong relationship between France and Croatia would continue to flourish in the years ahead.
The evening also reflected the vitality of the economic relationship between the two nations. Supported by an increasing number of partners and sponsors, the reception offered guests the opportunity to discover French expertise across a broad range of sectors, from gastronomy, wines, fashion and cosmetics to transport, engineering, infrastructure, energy and defence