Opinion: The Next Chapter in the U.S.-Croatia Partnership

Resources / Press Share on Opinion: The Next Chapter in the U.S.-Croatia Partnership Oct 23, 2026 Press If you want to understand why the relationship between the United States and Croatia matters, you do not have to look across the Atlantic. You can look around Northeast Ohio. For more than 150 years, Croatian immigrants and their descendants have been part of the story of this region. They came to Cleveland in the late 1860s looking for opportunity, worked in our factories, on our railroads and in construction, built businesses and neighborhoods, and established churches, schools, and cultural organizations that remain part of our communities today. That history is especially important in Ohio’s 14 th Congressional District, which is home to around 10,000 Americans of Croatian ancestry —the largest Croatian American population of any congressional district in Ohio. I grew up here. I have had the privilege of working alongside members of our Croatian American community, listening to their stories and seeing firsthand the pride they have in both their Croatian heritage and their Northeast Ohio home. Those relationships have shaped how I view our relationship with Croatia. Croatia is not simply a country that happens to be an American ally. I see it as a country connected to our district through thousands of families, businesses, churches, and generations of shared history. Croatia has transformed its place in the world. It joined NATO in 2009 and the European Union in 2013 and has become an important American partner in Southeast Europe. Its role in European energy security, including through the LNG terminal on the island of Krk, demonstrates the strategic value of that partnership. Our economic relationship presents another opportunity. As Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Croatian Caucus, one of my priorities has been advancing the U.S.-Croatia Avoidance of Double Taxation Treaty. For Americans and Croatians who work, invest, or do business across both countries, being subject to two tax systems can create unnecessary complexity and cost. The treaty would establish clearer rules for how certain types of income are taxed and reduce the burden of double taxation. In 2024, I led a letter with my fellow Caucus Co-Chairs urging Senate leadership to move the treaty forward. After being signed in 2022, the treaty was updated by a protocol signed in Dubrovnik in April 2026. On September 14, the Trump Administration sent the treaty to the Senate for its advice and consent to ratification. That progress matters beyond Washington. It matters to Croatian American families in our communities and to businesses and investors abroad. That is also why I helped relaunch the bipartisan Congressional Croatian Caucus in both the 118 th and 119 th Congresses. Through the Caucus, I have met with Croatia’s Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, as well as with Members of the Croatian Parliament and other Croatian leaders to discuss how our countries can work together on economic, cultural, and strategic opportunities. The U.S. and Croatia have strong ties between our governments and institutions, but our relationship is strongest because it is built on our people. Northeast Ohio helped make that relationship possible. Now we have an opportunity to help make it stronger. Our Croatian American community has spent generations building Northeast Ohio. Strengthening the ties between Ohio and Croatia is one way we can build on that legacy for the next generation, and I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in Congress and our partners in Croatia to do so for Americans and Croatians alike. Share on