United States marks 250th anniversary with diplomatic events in Croatia and Montenegro

U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Nicole McGraw celebrated the 250th anniversary of American independence at a ceremony in Split’s Le Méridien Lav hotel. She described the bilateral relationship as being in a “golden age,” noted that about 20,000 Americans reside in Croatia and that 850,000 U.S. tourists visited last year, and announced a new direct New York‑Split flight. The celebration featured fireworks and was followed by similar events planned for Zagreb and Dubrovnik.

In Montenegro, officials highlighted the United States as a strategic partner and signed a Memorandum of Economic Cooperation in Washington at the end of 2024. The agreement aims to expand trade, investment and collaboration in digitalisation, cyber‑security, renewable energy, infrastructure, tourism and new technologies, and will be backed by a forthcoming inter‑governmental G2G treaty and participation in the Blue Dot Network. The Montenegrin diaspora in the U.S. was also cited as a valuable resource for economic development.