Zagreb - Croatia and the USA have achieved concrete results in boosting their strategic partnership over the past decade, it was noted at a bilateral meeting between Sabor Speaker Gordan Jandroković, and a delegation of the US Congress led by Congressman Michael Turner, in Dubrovnik on Saturday.
The meeting was held as part of the 18th Dubrovnik Forum, according to a statement from the Office of the Speaker of the Croatian parliament.
"The interlocutors agreed that the excellent and partner-like relations between Croatia and the United States over the past decade have brought very tangible results. The best evidence of this includes Croatia’s inclusion in the US Visa Waiver Program and the Global Entry programme, as well as the establishment of the Strategic Dialogue between the two countries and the signing of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement ," the statement reads.
Jandroković was quoted as saying that Croatia remains committed to strengthening its strategic partnership with the United States.
In the fields of security and defence, energy and trade, as well as in matters of regional stability, Croatia and the US have long been reliable allies.
The Croatian parliament speaker noted that the two countries now cooperate extremely successfully within NATO and jointly contribute to the preservation of global peace and security, the statement added.
Alongside Republican Congressman Turner, the US House of Representatives delegation included Democratic Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan.
During the meeting, Jandroković reminded participants that Croatia plans to increase its defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, while the interlocutors agreed that continued cooperation and investment in a broad range of security areas, including cyber security and resilience to hybrid threats, is of vital importance.
In discussing economic cooperation, Jandroković emphasised that the United States is a key economic partner outside the EU and expressed hope that the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement would soon be ratified by the US Senate.
Key areas of cooperation highlighted included pharmaceuticals, high technology, IT, and energy, with Speaker Jandroković placing particular emphasis on the LNG terminal on the island of Krk.
He noted that its expansion demonstrates "Croatia’s readiness to take on the role of a key supply route for American liquefied natural gas to the wider region."
"This simultaneously strengthens the region’s energy security while opening new opportunities for future cooperation between Croatia and the United States," the statement said.
The interlocutors also discussed the situation in the Western Balkans, support for Ukraine, and the need to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
Regarding the Western Balkans, "they agreed that certain actors within the region, as well as external ones, unfortunately have an interest in keeping the area a source of ongoing instability," the statement from the Croatian parliament noted.
Jandroković concluded that "a deepening of parliamentary cooperation would certainly contribute to the overall enhancement of bilateral relations between Croatia and the United States," and announced that the Croatian Parliament will host a parliamentary summit of the Three Seas Initiative in Zagreb. He encouraged the attendance of a delegation from the US Congress at the summit with the aim of further strengthening transatlantic interparliamentary ties.
The interlocutors also discussed the situation in the Western Balkans, support for Ukraine, and the need to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
Regarding the Western Balkans, "they agreed that certain actors within the region, as well as external ones, unfortunately have an interest in keeping the area a source of ongoing instability," the statement from the Croatian Parliament noted.