Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Božo Petrov on Thursday received US Ambassador Julieta Valls Noyes, their first meeting since he stepped into office in mid-October. The focus of the meeting was on cooperation within NATO and on strengthening bilateral cooperation, notably in the energy sector.
Petrov and Valls Noyes reaffirmed the partnership between the two countries. The US ambassador thanked the Croatian Parliament for ratifying the protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the accession of Montenegro and for its decision on the participation of Croatian army personnel in the Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan.
Cooperation with the United States is important both for Europe and for Croatia, especially in the context of stabilisation of the entire region of Southeast Europe, Petrov said.
Petrov and Valls Noyes also discussed the importance of EU energy projects in which Croatia could play a role as part of an energy solution for the region by building a floating LNG terminal. US companies also see an opportunity in this project, Valls Noyes said.
The two officials also exchanged views on the priorities of the new Croatian government and the situation in Croatia's neighbourhood.