Washington – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković addressed as guest speaker at the inauguration of the Congressional Croatian Caucus (CCC) for the 119th U.S. Congress at the Rayburn House Office Building at Capitol Hill on Wednesday, May 7. The inauguration was hosted by the Croatian Embassy in Washington D.C., where the Ambassador of Croatia, Pjer Šimunović, initiated the inauguration.
Joining the Prime Minister were his ministers, including Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman. CCC Co-Chairs Congressman Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Congresswoman Nanette Barragán (D-CA) were officially inaugurated along with fellow Vice-Chairs Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA).
U.S. Congressional members attended, including the two Co-Chairs; two Vice-Chairs; Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), who will host the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords from May 22 to 26; Congressman Joe Wilson (R-SC), Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission; and Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK). Attending were various Croatian Embassy representatives and prominent Croatian American leaders, including President of the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF) Steve Rukavina and NFCACF Public Liaison Joe Foley. The Ambassador of Ukraine to the United States, Oksana Markarova, also attended the inauguration.
In early April, Congressman Dave Joyce announced the relaunch of the CCC as Co-Chair alongside Congresswoman Nanette Barragán and Vice-Chair Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Vice Chair Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA).
Prime Minister Plenković emphasized Croatia’s role in energy resilience and its consequential role in resolving the energy crisis in Europe. “During the first term of my government from 2016 to 2020, we decided to build a liquefied natural gas terminal on the island of Krk. That decision has proven to be politically farsighted in light of the energy crisis following Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, ensuring gas supply diversification for Croatia and positioning us as a regional hub for gas arriving from the United States,” stated the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister expressed the importance of maintaining strong transatlantic relations between the United States and Croatia through advancing NATO relations and diplomatic and economic ties. “I would like to thank our ambassador and the entire team here for their daily efforts to improve relations between Croatia and the United States,” he concluded. He ascertained that the CCC would contribute to a positive relationship between the two countries. “In short, we look forward to greater investment from the United States in our country,” he said.
CCC Co-Chair Congressman Dave Joyce stated that Croatian Americans continue their contributions across the U.S. “This is especially true in northeast Ohio, home to over 15,000 Croatian Americans. The work of the Croatian Caucus will ensure that the U.S. and Croatia maintain strong bilateral relations. Since gaining independence, Croatia has been our ally, and we share a commitment to democratic values and the rule of law. Under President Trump, we will continue to strengthen these ties and further enhance our economic and cultural cooperation,” he stated.
CCC Co-Chair Congresswoman Nanette Barragán congratulated the Prime Minister for his esteemed engagement in stimulating Croatia’s economic and strategic contributions as a member of the European Union (EU). “Since the last session of Congress, we sent a letter to the Senate urging ratification of the Avoidance of Double Taxation agreements between the U.S. and Croatia, something we’ve already discussed. We will continue to advocate for this treaty’s ratification in the current Congress and work to resolve the issues blocking it,” said Barragán.
On Thursday, May 8th, the Prime Minister will be in Washington for panel discussions with the Hudson Institute and George Washington University focusing on American and Croatian transatlantic relations and an afternoon reception at the Croatian Embassy in Washington D.C. This evening, he will receive the 2025 Atlantic Council Distinguished International Leadership Award.
The Congressional Croatian Caucus is a bipartisan Congressional Caucus that promotes bilateral foreign policy and diplomatic exchanges between the United States and Croatia. The Caucus encompasses two Co-chairs and two Vice-Chairs, each Republican and Democrat, and had a total of twenty-three members in the 118th Congress. Founded in 2005, the Caucus aimed to expand the importance of alliance building and highlight shared values utilizing cross-cultural cooperation and transnational business and trade opportunities. One of the most noteworthy achievements made by the Caucus was advancing American approval of Croatia’s accession into NATO.
Members of the Congressional Croatian Caucus for the 119th Congress include Co-Chair Congressman Dave Joyce, Co-Chair Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, Vice-Chair Congresswoman Claudia Tenney, Vice-Chair Congressman Ted Lieu, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), Rep. Harold Rogers (R-KY), Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ), Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), Rep. Lois Frankel (D-FL), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA), Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY), Rep. Joe Morelle (D-NY), Rep. Frank Mrvan (D-IN), Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Gerald Connolly (D-VA), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN), and Rep. Nick Begich (R-AK).
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