On Wednesday, April 8, 2025, U.S. Congressman Dave Joyce (R-OH) announced the relaunch of the Congressional Croatian Caucus (CCC) for the 119th Congress as Co-Chair alongside Congresswoman Nanette Barragan (D-CA) and Vice Chairs Congresswoman Claudia Tenney (R-NY) and Congressman Ted Lieu (D-CA).
Congressman Joyce expressed his excitement in relaunching the CCC. “Croatian Americans continue to make critical contributions to our communities across America. This is especially true in Northeast Ohio, where roughly 15,000 Americans whose primary ancestry is Croatian reside, the fourth largest concentration of Croatians in the United States. I am proud to Co-Chair this Caucus and look forward to working with my colleagues to maintain a strong bilateral relationship with Croatia.”
Congresswoman Barragan also expressed her excitement. “I am proud to help lead the Congressional Croatian Caucus as we deepen the strong partnership between the United States and Croatia. From trade and innovation to cultural heritage and democratic values, our countries share a powerful bond. This is especially true in my district, which is home to one of the largest Croatian American communities in the United States.”
Congresswoman Tenney stated, “Croatia plays an influential role in the region and beyond, and I am excited to once again serve as the Vice Chair of the Congressional Croatian Caucus headed into the 119th Congress. This Caucus is dedicated to enhancing our nation’s bond, increasing collaboration in numerous areas of shared interest, and strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Croatia.”
“The relationship between the United States and Croatia is one of shared values,” said Congressman Lieu. “It is vital for us to continue strengthening our cooperation and engagement. I’m pleased to be part of this bipartisan caucus to promote the partnership between America and Croatia.”
These statements remind us of the strong bilateral relations the United States and the Republic of Croatia have through common values originally enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. Before, during, and after Croatia’s declared independence, the Croatian diaspora has actively promoted cultural, traditional, and political aspirations of democracy and freedom. Croatians have often struggled to promote their voices due to the boundaries of political and social obstacles caused by World War II, communism, and the follow-on conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Larger countries, like the United States, utilize these valued principles to provide significant opportunities for Croatian Americans to use their civic rights to raise their voices on pressing issues in Croatia and other countries with significant diaspora populations.
Since its well-fought independence in the early 1990s, Croatia has demonstrated itself to be one of the most developed and productive nations in South-Central Europe. In addition, its alliance with the United States, assisted by the Congressional Croatian Caucus, asserts an unwavering bond through diplomatic engagements to improve security, energy development, and commercial relations within the region. But what is the Congressional Croatian Caucus, how did it form, and what is its significance to strengthening American and Croatian foreign relations?
The Origins and the Croatian American Community’s Involvement
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 a Republican and a Democrat, and had a total of twenty-three members in the 118th Congress. Founded in 2005, the CCC aimed to expand the importance of alliance building and highlight shared values, cross-cultural cooperation, and transnational business and trade opportunities. One of the main goals that the Caucus originally desired to advance was fulfilling Croatia’s aspirations for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Croatian American organizations like the National Federation of Croatian Americans Cultural Foundation (NFCACF), an umbrella organization originally established in 1993 for Croatian American organizations dedicated to fostering interests among Croatian communities, have played an unprecedented role in modeling and establishing the CCC. The organization’s work helped pave the way for the U.S. Congress’s full support for Croatia’s accession to NATO.
On February 3, 2005, NFCACF’s former President Edward Andrus hosted an evening reception at the Rayburn Congressional Office Building to formally announce the CCC’s establishment. The event included at least 150 guests and was funded by special donations from prominent Croatian American community donors, including famous California winemaker Miljenko “Mike” Grgich. Also attending the Congress-sponsored reception was Anthony Peraica, a longtime director of the Croatian American Association from Chicago. Peraica was a founding member of the National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA) in 1993, as the organization was then known. Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Neven Jurica also hosted this significant Congressional occasion. The first bipartisan Caucus Co-Chairs – Rep. George P. Radanovich (R-CA) and Rep. Peter J. Visclosky (D-IN) – emceed the event. Then Prime Minister of Croatia Ivo Sanader also attended the reception and presented the highest Croatian government honor, the Order of Duke Branimir, to the two Congressmen for their work in founding the CCC. At its launch, the Caucus had 45 House members and a charter to promote and support Croatia within Congress.
The initial creation of the Caucus is credited to Mr. Andrus, the Croatian Embassy, and several other NFCA members at the time, including former NFCA Treasurer Zvonko Labas and long- time NFCA Public Affairs Liaison Joe Foley. Foley had initiated the on-ground Capitol Hill strategy of building a consensus within the U.S. Congress for a formal Caucus to recommend Croatia’s full membership into NATO as soon as practicable and legislatively feasible. NFCA President Mr. Andrus also revealed early on that Croatia’s accession process into NATO would be a top priority for the Croatian American community.
Progress and challenges for Croatia’s Accession into NATO
One piece of legislation that would confirm NFCA’s successful progress with the CCC to expeditiously advance Croatia’s accession process was the introduction of H. Res. 529. The Resolution was sponsored by Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-CA), who then served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee in Europe. CCC Co-Chairs Radanovich and Visclosky also formally cosponsored it. The Resolution promoted the acknowledgment of Croatia as a functioning democracy with stable institutions and a free market economy. The Resolution also underscored the U.S. as a dependable ally to the Republic of Croatia and the relatively new nation worthy of full membership in the NATO alliance and other Western institutions. It also provided an avenue for Croatia to join Albania and Macedonia as signatories to the original U.S.-Adriatic Charter, underscoring all three nations’ goal of full NATO membership. The Caucus Co-Chairs agreed, along with NFCA’s efforts at the time, to promote Congressmen Gallegly’s decision to advance the accession process and ensure further stability for Croatia in South-Central Europe via the passage of H. Res. 529. After the passage of the Resolution, the U.S. House of Representatives was on record stating that Croatia had become a fully reliable and constructive partner in the region.
However, the Caucus and NFCA met with resistance from the U.S. State Department and other Congressional members. The issue was related to concerns swirling about Croatian General Ante Gotovina, the operational commander of the three-day military offensive known as Operation Storm in August 1995 against the Serb-annexed Krajina region in Croatia. The General, who was accused at the time of war crimes against Serbian civilians by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), faced criticism from certain Congressional members and European leaders. At the time, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns was skeptical of Croatia’s role in joining the NATO accession process until Croatia fully cooperated with the ICTY in “apprehending” General Gotovina to stand trial in the Hague.
Mr. Andrus, whose organization had not taken a position on the General’s ICTY indictment, realized that the Gotovina issue would be a major obstacle for the Croatian people and their country’s NATO accession goals. The NATO matter needed separation from Croatia’s internal issue – that of the ICTY indictment – from Croatia’s long-term foreign policy commitments with the United States, including the country’s additional goals of joining the grander Euro-Atlantic alliance. “The Gotovina matter hopefully will be resolved,” Mr. Andrus said in the NFCA’s letter to the Congress. “It is a separate issue from peace and stability in the region and the contributions that Croatians can make while a member of NATO.” Despite the cited setbacks voiced by the Under Secretary and other opposition, Rep. Gallegly committed to continuing to push the Resolution to passage by reaching a consensus with Croatian Caucus members, the Department of State, and the ICTY’s Chief Prosecutor Carla Del Ponte. This dedication provided the necessary opportunity for the Resolution to be successfully amended in the House of Representatives before final consideration.
Congressman Radanovich presented Mr. Andrus’ letter to Congressman Gallegly during House deliberations. The Andrus letter stated that the NFCA understood and supported the requirements of the U.S. State Department for Croatia to be fully cooperative with the ICTY, that long-term regional stability (Page E2528) in the region was a “very high priority,” and that Croatia would become a long term constructive military partner. In addition, Croatia’s NATO membership would help stabilize the delicate South-East European region and provide preventative assistance against future regional conflicts. “NATO should want to take advantage of the greater contribution that Croatia would make toward peace and stability as a full member,” the Andrus letter stated.
After careful deliberation during a delay to discuss language changes in H. Res. 529, the Resolution included new language that Croatia would be fully compliant with the ICTY while removing any mention of urging Croatia to apprehend its “remaining indictees.” During this time, General Gotovina was apprehended while hiding in the Canary Islands.
For the record, General Gotovina would eventually be acquitted by the Appeals Chamber of the Hague Tribunal in November 2012, overturning his earlier lengthy prison sentence. Coincidentally, one of the Hague Council members who successfully defended Gotovina was a Croatian American international lawyer, Luka Misetic.
On December 14, 2005, the House passed H. Res. 529. On December 21, 2005, a similar Resolution, S.Res. 342, that had been introduced by Senator George Voinovich (R-OH) in his body of Congress, was passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate.
Protocols for NATO Accession
With respect to Croatia’s consideration for full membership in NATO, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held a hearing in September 2008 to address Croatia’s and Albania’s goal of becoming members of NATO. NFCA was well represented at the Senate hearing. President Andrus was recognized in the audience by Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT), who was sitting in as Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee while the Committee’s Chairman, Joe Biden, was campaigning for Vice President of the United States in the late fall of 2008. These hearings were soon followed by the U.S. Senate’s passage of the NATO Accession Protocols . On October 24, 2008, the protocols were signed by President George W. Bush at the White House, thus solidifying U.S. support for Croatia’s membership in additional Euro-Atlantic organizations. The passage for Croatia’s and Albania’s admittance to NATO is considered by many to be President Bush’s last significant foreign policy achievement.
Since Croatia has attained full membership in NATO, the CCC remains one of the largest and most active foreign policy-oriented caucuses in Washington. Since becoming a full member of NATO, the Caucus and the NFCACF have aspired to help facilitate further Croatian Euro-Atlantic integration.
On May 5, 2009, NFCA President Andrus and Vice President Zvonko Labas attended the NATO flag-raising ceremony in Norfolk, Virginia. It was held at the Supreme Allied Command Transformation Headquarters and marked Croatia to be an official affiliate into the military alliance. Albania was also included as a result of the passage of the NATO protocols by the U.S. and by each of the other NATO member-nations. The Croatian flag raising alongside twenty-six other NATO member nations marked a significant accomplishment for the CCC and a turning point for Croatia as an example of resilience in overcoming international challenges and related national setbacks. During the formal ceremony, U.S. General James Mattis expressed confidence in Croatia’s ability and readiness as a NATO member and the importance of strengthening the alliance, promoting democracy, and ensuring regional stability. Misters Andrus and Labas, two very proud attendees representing the NFCA, were duly congratulated by U.S. and NATO military representatives in attendance.
Caucus Achievements and Legacy
Croatia’s admission into NATO, according to Mr. Andrus, was a “step-by-step process” and provided an opportunity for Croatia’s full membership to benefit from the efforts of Croatian Americans and the U.S. Congress. “Structuring of the Croatian Caucus was a government relations task which demanded much effort and many resources, not only from the National Federation of Croatian Americans but from other individuals and diplomatic organizations,” Mr. Andrus said during the February 2005 Congressional reception. “I also wish to cite the valuable work in these regards by the Embassy’s talented Political Attache Tanja Raguz, who has represented Croatian Ambassador to the U.S. Kolinda Grabar Kitarović before the U.S. Congress.”
Furthermore, “the success to date of H.R. 529 is due to the vision and resolve shown by members of the Croatian Caucus to effectively drive this important measure forward in addition to the hard work of NFCA and that of the Croatian Embassy,” Congressman Radanovich remarked on the House floor during the Resolution’s consideration. The Caucus’s ability to form a consensus with Congressional members to effectively move forward Croatia’s NATO accession process provided an efficient political channel for Croatian Americans to voice their sincere and supportive interests with their Members of Congress.
Mr. Andrus was one of the key leaders for NFCA, along with the Croatian Embassy and other Croatian American organizations, such as the Croatian Fraternal Union of America, who brought consistency in advancing Croatia’s membership into NATO. In concert with the NFCA, they utilized the Caucus as a communication channel for Croatian Americans to voice critical issues to Members of Congress, as they still do today. “We now have this most efficient means to have Congress listen to our concerns, and there are many of them. Croatia’s entry into NATO and other Euro-Atlantic institutions will encounter difficult obstacles in the future, which our elected Representatives can help to remove with the help of our Caucus,” noted Mr. Andrus.
Future Engagements and Objectives
NFCACF currently engages with the Croatian Embassy and the CCC to identify Members of Congress who have an interest in international relations, especially South-Central European and Western Balkan affairs. NFCACF’s current long-time President Steve Rukavina and his public affairs liaison Joe Foley continue to pursue and help resolve current Croatian diplomatic issues and bilateral matters. Several issues that the CCC continues to assess include the ratification of the Senate-pending “Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty,” the Southern Gas Interconnection pipeline between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia’s advancement in the Three Seas Initiative, and an equitable entity recognition and representation for all Croats still living in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). In regard to the issues of BiH, NFCACF and other foreign policy-interested entities continue to monitor the consistent implementation and administration of important caveats of the “Dayton Peace Accords” as adopted by the international community in November 1995 at Wright-Patterson AFB in Ohio.
Croatian Americans are also encouraged to contact their local Congressional members who are interested in joining the Caucus to promote Croatian interests. “Of course, we are always interested when NFCACF members have a Member of Congress in mind who may be interested in our issues,” Mr. Foley stated in his 25th Washington Report in 2024 to the NFCACF.
If you have a member of Congress who might be interested in joining one the longest standing and most productive foreign policy ethnic special interest group caucuses in Washington, please contact Mr. Foley at [email protected] and visit nfcacf.org for more information on their projects and ways to get involved.
By Mark Plavetic, NFCACF National Secretary and Croatians Online Editor
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