The governor of Tucumán, Argentina, Osvaldo Jaldo, convened with Croatian ambassador to Argentina, Duška Paravić, to examine trade routes, notably exporting lemons via Croatia's Rijeka port, reported Tucumán's office.
Honorary Croatian Consul, Catalina Lonac, emphasized the deliberations covered "various topics, including trade, healthcare, and education," juxtaposing operational strategies in the public and private sectors across nations. As stated on the provincial website, the consul remarked on Croatia's strategic ports, which have remained underutilized by Argentina, largely overshadowed by reliance on Rotterdam and Spain's Algeciras ports, both cited as overloaded and outdated.
Catalina Lonac highlighted Rijeka's port, asserting, "offers the same services, has a deeper draught and is ready to handle all trade destined for Eastern Europe, where Tucumán's lemons are headed."
Argentina ranks among the leading global lemon exporters, with Tucumán contributing significantly with a harvest of 1.3 million tons in 2017, increasing to 1.5 million tons by 2019, as sourced from the Argentine press, Clarín. Discussions concluded with an agreement to channel port information through economic chambers, addressing industrial entities in the region, noted Lonac, serving in the honorary consular role within the province housing 1.7 million residents.
Source: Croatia Week