ZAGREB, 15 March 2022 - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed his deep appreciation for the strong support of Croatian PM Andrej Plenković and his government for Ukraine, including providing security assistance and accepting refugees, and for Croatia’s active role in NATO, the U.S. Department of State said on Monday.

According to a statement signed by spokesperson Ned Price, Blinken reaffirmed U.S. support for Ukraine "in the face of President Putin's continued war against Ukraine.

"The Secretary expressed his deep appreciation for the strong support of Prime Minister Plenković and his government for Ukraine, including providing security assistance and accepting refugees, and for Croatia's active role in NATO."

Also discussed was the March 10 drone crash in Zagreb.

"The Secretary noted Croatia's critical role in securing the European future of the entire Western Balkans, including Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Secretary also welcomed the March 17 U.S.-Croatia Strategic Dialogue, which will bring together senior-level interagency teams to review joint efforts to advance shared priorities," the State Department said.

ZAGREB, 5 Nov 2021 - Croatian President Zoran Milanović on Friday met with the Chief of the United States National Guard Bureau, General Daniel Hokanson.

"The meeting discussed the cooperation to date between the Croatian Armed Forces and the Minnesota National Guard, which was mutually assessed as very successful," the Office of the President said in a statement.

Support for the further strengthening and development of the current partnership was expressed at the meeting.

According to information on the National Guard website, Croatia and Minnesota have cooperated in the field of humanitarian and civil assistance missions for more than 25 years.

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ZAGREB, Sept 10, 2020 - A state-of-the-art kindergarten built in Croatian-US partnership was inaugurated in Sisak on Thursday by Ambassador Robert Kohorst and Mayor Kristina Ikic Banicek.

The Sunce kindergarten is worth HRK 8.5 million and the US government co-financed it with HRK 4. million, which was used to build the structure, while the town paid for its equipment and a playground.

Eighty-five preschool children are attending kindergarten.

Present at the inauguration, among others, were high US army envoys in Croatia and representatives of Croatia's Defence Ministry and Armed Forces General Staff.

Ambassador Kohorst said he was glad to be in Sisak today to witness such a beautiful event.

He said the US was proud that its military recognized the need to build a kindergarten in Sisak and that the US government concluded the deal with local contractors, who built the structure.

Kohorst said he was glad the US military had a humanitarian aid program within its portfolio and that it initiated the construction of the kindergarten with $710,000.

He added that the kindergarten was a symbol of Croatian-US friendship which was and would be very important for both countries.

The mayor thanked him for the donation and underlined the importance of the new building, saying the previous premises were inadequate.

"Two years passed since the first contact with the Embassy, i.e. the US government, and the opening of the kindergarten. I believe this isn't the only one, that there will be more projects like this. Now we have a modern building and happy children, parents, and teachers."

Headmistress Sandra Kramaric also thanked the Americans. "We had been waiting for a new kindergarten for 20 years. Today we are proud of the new building."

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ZAGREB, June 29, 2020 - Croatia is in the final phase of entering the USA's Visa Waiver Programme and despite COVID-19 it has not put its foreign policy priorities on hold, Minister of the Interior Davor Bozinovic said on Monday.

"Despite the crisis caused by COVID-19, we have not neglected a single foreign policy priority," Bozinovic said after the signing of a Croatia-USA agreement on cooperation for stronger aviation safety.

Bozinovic recalled agreements signed between Croatia and various agencies, including the FBI and the DIA, which, he said, "now really makes it possible for us to say that we are embarking on the final stage" of the process of entering the Visa Waiver Programme.

US Ambassador Robert Kohorst said both governments had been working on that goal with great commitment, noting that he was thrilled because, despite COVID-19 and all the problems, the two sides had managed to work together on their partnership and had made a big step towards Croatia's entry into the Visa Waiver Programme.

Kohorst added that Croatia's entry, planned for the end of this year, could be postponed for a few months due to the health crisis but that they would do their best to honor the initial deadline.

The agreement on cooperation for stronger aviation safety between the USA and Croatia is a step towards visa-free travel to the USA for Croatian citizens.

Of the EU member states, only nationals of Croatia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Cyprus cannot enter the USA without a visa.

''For the start of cooperation between Croatia and the USA, Međimurje County is perhaps the best place for some new opportunities,'' stated US Ambassador HE. W. Robert Kohorst on Wednesday in the continental Croatian town of Čakovec.

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 25th of April, 2019, the visit began with a working meeting in Međimurje County, Božena Malekoci-Oletić said for Međimurske Novine. The US Ambassador visited the Međimurje Polytechnic where he attended the marking of the eleventh anniversary of the Polytechnic, the Technological Innovation Centre, and he also met some of Međimurje's young basketball players.

American Ambassador Robert Kohorst, together with the Prefect of Međimurje County, Matija Posavac, addressed the present representatives of the media.

The American Ambassador said that the US Embassy is working on a program to connect different American companies to the companies here in Croatia. Over the next six months, certain measures and suggestions on how to achieve it will be implemented. The most important thing is to feel welcome in an environment where it's easy to do business without too much bureaucracy.

He expressed his satisfaction with Međimurje's attitude that every problem can be solved. He stressed that this is the most important thing that can be done to attract investors. What is equally important for potential investors is a well-educated and cooperative workforce who are ready to engage in work. In such an environment, companies are more than happy to do business.

"I like the way you work and prepare for investments and for the companies coming from the United States, and we'll try to present this story to the American companies,'' Kohorst stated.

Međimurske Novine asked Kohorst what the special reason for his arrival to the smallest Croatian county was all about.

"I heard it was the most beautiful county, and mayors have told me that the towns here were the most beautiful,'' Ambassador Robert Kohorst diplomatically. But afterwards, he added that he was not a career diplomat, but that he's there for business reasons and putting business cooperation at the forefront is his aim. He added that cooperation between the US and Međimurje County was a great start for new opportunities.

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