The foreign, diplomatic, economic, and political relations between Croatia and the United States were established on April 7, 1992 following the independence of Croatia. By the late-1990s, the U.S. established Croatia as its strongest geopolitical connection to Southeast Europe. Modern relations are considered to be warm and friendly, with stalwart bilateral collaboration. The Croatian diaspora in the U.S. is the largest, estimated to be around 1.2 million which, in part, informs the foreign policy of Croatia. The two nations have strong connectivity through tourism, immigration, foreign aid, and economic mutualism.
Upon the independence of Croatia, the U.S. recognised Croatia in its modern form on April 7, 1992. The U.S. Consulate General in Zagreb gained embassy status on August 25, 1992. The first U.S. ambassador to Croatia was Peter Galbraith who served in this position from 1993 to 1998.[4] By 1996, the U.S. established Croatia as its strongest geopolitical connection to Southeast Europe.
The U.S. embassy in Croatia is located in Zagreb, southwest of Buzin. The 7,000 m2 compound began construction in 1999[5] and opened on June 2, 2003,[6] with an opening ceremony held in its atrium on June 13.[7] Designed for maximum safety following the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Africa, it consists of a five-floor main building surrounded by a park and a 3-meter-high wall. All service buildings are located near the outer wall. The building was designed by Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum architects Morgan R. Williams and Robert Barr, with input and aid from Croatian architect Ivan Franić.[6]
The U.S. embassy in Zagreb is a charter member of the League of Green Embassies and a founding member of the Zagreb Green Building Council. According to this, embassy support recycling, energy and water use reduction programs. The embassy also sponsors American Corners at libraries in Osijek, Rijeka, Zadar, and Zagreb.[8][9][10]
History
Early relations
The Republic of Ragusa, a merchant republic centered at the Croatian city of Dubrovnik, was one of the first foreign countries to de facto recognize independence of the United States. Ragusa extended that de facto recognition through the efforts of Francesco Favi, the Ragusan consul in Paris, on July 7, 1783. The Republic never recognized the United States in a de jure sense.[11][12] The first U.S. President to visit Croatia was Richard Nixon, who came to Zagreb on 2 October 1970 during his state visit to Yugoslavia. The choice to visit Zagreb during political and cultural developments in Socialist Republic of Croatia that would culminate in the Croatian Spring, along with Nixon's praise for the "spirit of Croatia" and his exclamation "Long live Croatia! Long live Yugoslavia!", has been interpreted as a statement of support for Croatian identity and greater autonomy within the federal framework of Yugoslavia.[13][14][15]
Contemporary relations
Clinton administration (1993–2001)
The first U.S. president to visit independent Croatia was Bill Clinton on 13 January 1996. Clinton spent a few hours on the Zagreb Airport while returning from visiting IFOR troops in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. During his visit, Clinton gave a speech in front of a crowd waving Croatian and American flags, then met with Croatian President Franjo Tuđman.[16][17]
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited Croatia on October 30, 2012. During her visit she met with many Croatian officials including President Ivo Josipović, Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić. Main topics of discussions were Croatian role in NATO and the Croatian accession to the European Union as well as economic relations between the U.S. and Croatia. Secretary Clinton called Croatia a "leader in Southeast Europe" that had well educated workforce, established infrastructure, geopolitical importance, adding that it was promising destination but that there was still a necessity for additional reforms, increase of transparency, elimination of bureaucratic barriers, as well as increased privatization state-owned companies.[20][21][22]
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden arrive in Croatia, 2015
On November 25, 2015 U.S. Vice President Joe Biden visited Croatia as a special guest of the Brdo-Brijuni Process Leaders' Summit.[23] Discussed topics on the plenary session were integration of Southeast Europe into Euro-Atlantic processes, migrant crisis, security challenges and the fight against terrorism, conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine, as well as energy.[24] Vice President Biden met with the Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić with whom he talked about situation in the Middle East, especially about the war in Syria, migrant crisis and the security situation in the world after 2015 Paris terrorist attacks.[25][26][27]
In 2018 and 2020 the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, visited Dubrovnik, where he had a meeting with Croatia's prime minister Andrej Plenković and other Croatian government officials. Following the 2020 meeting, the Croatian foreign minister, Gordan Grlić-Radman, said that Croatia had signed no document whereby it would undertake to refrain from co-operating with China on the issues of 5G security.[28][29] Pompeo's visit was foreshadowed by statements made by Croatia's president Zoran Milanović, who harshly criticized U.S. foreign policy, particularly its disengagement with various international organizations.[30][31][32]
Biden administration (2021–2025)
During the presidency of Joe Biden, the U.S. government significantly expanded their foreign affairs mandate with Croatia.[33] U.S. advocated for Croatia to accelerate its transition to a market-based economy and further project allied military strength in the region.[33] The U.S. offered support to strengthen "judicial efficiency, anti-corruption, and law enforcement capacity" in Croatia.[33] Relations in 2022 were buoyed by easing of visa requirements and Croatia's inclusion in the U.S.-led Global Entry Program.[34]
Second Trump administration (2025–present)
Amid U.S. disengagement with the international community, Croatia was relatively insulated from adverse U.S. foreign policy in the region.[34] Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković visited the U.S. in May 2025, to meet with the U.S. Congressional Croatian-American Friendship Caucus, highlighting key bilateral military and energy projects.[34] The U.S. and Croatia are interested in executing a double taxation waiver treaty.[34] Croatia's entry into the OECD was briefly blocked by President Donald Trump amid a broader 2025 trade war with Europe, but resumed later on with entry expected by mid-2026.[35]
Croatia and the United States are close military allies and share a strong bilateral defense industrial base.[36] The U.S. government has stated that its Department of Defense had a "robust military-to-military relationship with Croatia" with the U.S. providing military assistance to Croatia in the form of training, equipment, equipment loans, and education in U.S. military schools.[37] Both are members of NATO, leveraging Croatia's aerospace and defense manufacturing and U.S. military operations to advance multilateral initiatives. In 1995, the U.S. trained and equipped the Croatian Armed Forces in joint-initiation of Operation Storm during the Croatian War of Independence, securing much of modern Croatian borders.[38][39] Since Operation Sharp Guard in 1993, the territorial waters of Croatia have been a deterrence asset in Southern Europe for the U.S. and NATO.[40][41] In August 2015, they jointly celebrated the 20th anniversary of Operation Storm in Zagreb, with an American delegation arriving ahead of the planned military parade.[42][43]
The United States Navy frequently docks naval ships and aircraft carriers in Split, where it maintains a logistical office in the Lora Naval Base.[44] The United States European Command maintains a training facility at this naval base.[45] The Croatian island of Krk has served as a logistics hub for U.S. military supply chains heading to the Middle East.[46] The two nations have deep defence integration and interoperability.[47] The Croatian Armed Forces have a special relationship with the U.S.-based Minnesota National Guard through their State Partnership Program.[48]
Croatia received from this program from 2000 until FMF's suspension in 2003 $18.5 million. Once FMF was launched again in 2008 Croatia received addition $14.5 million. Croatia spent this money mostly on purchase of communication systems, simulators and equipment for night surveillance.
Croatia bought $4.2 billion worth products from this program; flight equipment, communications devices, night vision equipment and software's for Croatia's Main Simulation Centre.
Global Peacekeeping Operations Initiative
Around $5.1 million that Croatia received from this program was spent for equipping two classrooms for foreign language learning in Knin and Našice, buying navigation equipment and equipment for the night flying, as well as for training helicopter pilots for the night flights.
Program - article 1206 - Train and Equip
Croatian sailors on U.S. naval ship in 2023
From this program Croatia received $31 million from 2010 to 2014. With this money Croatia bought HMMWV vehicles for training, communication and navigation equipment, equipment for night surveillance, labeling and identification of army vehicles and MILES 2000 adjustment system for Croatian VHS-D rifle. In 2015, Croatia received $11 million for purchasing communications equipment and training its special forces.
Program - article 1202 - Enhanced ACSA (Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreements)
Through this program U.S. lends its allies that are participating in missions in Afghanistan and Iraq military equipment for a period of approximately one year. Croatia received through this program 50 HMMWV and 12 MRAP vehicles (which Croatia kept as a gift after the end of missions in Afghanistan and Iraq), ballistic missiles and systems for command, control and communication (Blue Force Tracking).
Through this program Croatia bought 212 used MRAP vehicles: 162 M-ATV, 30 Navistar MaxxPro Plus, and 20 medical vehicles MRAP HAGA. In April 2014, Croatia took delivery of 30 U.S. MRAP vehicles out of the 212 MRAP vehicles that the U.S. government had decided on donating to Croatia.[50]
Coalition Support Funds
An armed Croatian convoy, transporting U.S. military assets, to Udbina Air Base in Udbina, 2022
Through this program Croatia received from the U.S. partial refund of its money invested in ISAF missions in which Croatia participated from 2011 until 2013. $16.9 million were refunded to Croatia. This money will be used for improving maritime radar Enhanced Peregrine.
Helicopters from Croatia and the U.S. fly in formation over Kosovo, 2021
Croatia at first participated in this program from 1995 to 2003 when it got banned from participating due to some diplomatic disagreements between U.S. and Croatia. On October 2, 2006 George W. Bush with his decree abolished the restraining Croatia from participating in IMET program "because of the Croatian importance for U.S. national interests". Croatia through the IMET program implemented over 600 activities with costs estimated at about $9 million.
Cooperative Logistic Support Supply Arrangement
Croatia signed this agreement and became part of the U.S. logistics data base. This agreement enables Croatia to independently buy spare parts for its HMMWV vehicles which wouldn't be possible without this agreement because the only authorized buyer of spare parts for HMMWV is the U.S. and anyone that wants to buy any spare parts has to ask U.S. for permission.
The U.S. donated to Croatia approximately $2 million through this program so Croatia could destroy some of its anti-aircraft systems that are dysfunctional.
The program of demining and the destruction of surplus munitions
The U.S. donated to Croatia approximately $2.5 million through this program for demining and destroying some Croatian surplus munitions.
Economic relations between Croatia and the United States are very strong. An investment treaty between the two countries was first signed in 1996, increasing protection of U.S. business interests in Croatia.[51] In 2013 Croatia exported $327,992.000 worth goods to the U.S. and imported from it $221,794.000 worth goods. The U.S. is the most important trade partner in North America for Croatia in front of Cayman Islands and Canada. The U.S. is the eighth-most important trading partner for Croatia in the world.[52][53]
Travel and tourism between the two countries represent a material economic cooperation. In 2013, 220,043 Americans, who have made 548,727 overnight stays, came to Croatia on a holiday.[54]
The U.S. donated more than $27 million in humanitarian assistance to Croatia from 1998 to 2016.[2] The U.S. also has provided additional financial assistance to Croatia through the Southeastern European Economic Development Program (SEED) to facilitate democratization and restructuring of Croatia's financial sector, largely through programs managed by USAID.
The modern Croatian diaspora in the U.S. is the largest in the world with an estimate of more than 1.2 million members in 2016.[55] Most of the Croats live in Chicago (~150,000), New York City, New Jersey and Connecticut (~80,000), St. Louis (~40,000), San Pedro (~35,000), Detroit (~7,000) and San Jose (~5,000). The National Federation of Croatian Americans is the main organization that brings together Croats in the U.S.[56] According to the 1990 United States census, there were over 544,270 Croatian Americans, a figure which had fallen to 414,714 by 2012.[57][58]
↑ Fer Projekt, Put Murvice 14, Zadar, Hrvatska, +385 98 212 96 00, www.fer-projekt.com. "Hrvatsko iseljeništvo u SAD-u". Hrvatiizvanrh.hr. Archived from the original on 2013-06-15. Retrieved 2016-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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