Croatian President Stjepan Mesić received credentials from James B. Foley, the new United States Ambassador to Croatia.
Ambassador Foley said that Croatia and the United States were friends and, as of late, allies within the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. He stressed Croatia's contribution to international peace operations and role in stabilising Southeast Europe, adding that he would be working on strengthening economic ties between the two countries.
President Mesić stated that Croatia welcomed with great enthusiasm "the new highlights of US foreign policy" introduced by President Barack Obama and that he personally appreciated the fact that "the US today is open to dialogue with everyone and respects the special characteristics of individual countries or regions."
"Croatia particularly respects peace, because in the first days of its independence it had to experience the horrors of war, and remains committed to the fight against global terrorism," Croatian President emphasized.