Kenneth H. Merten, a career diplomat, is the new U.S. ambassador to Croatia, who will begin his duties in Zagreb during this autumn, according to a statement released by the U.S. Embassy in Zagreb on Thursday.
Merten's appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on 30 March 2012 and the swearing-in ceremony at which he received credentials from U.S. State Secretary Hilary Clinton was held in Washington on Wednesday. In attendance was Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Josko Paro.
In 1987, Merten joined the United States Foreign Service and since then served both at Department of State facilities in Washington, DC and international assignments in Paris, Brussels, Bonn and Haiti.
At the swearing-in ceremony, the new U.S. ambassador to Croatia expressed hope that his diplomatic career had prepared him well for the ambassadorship in Zagreb.
"We should applaud successive Croatian governments for making some difficult --but ultimately beneficial -- decisions over the past 15 years or so. As a result, we see a Croatia that is at the heart of Europe and is a key member of the Transatlantic Community", Merten said.
Emphasising that Croatia is an excellent partner for the United States, he said that the USA has "a mature and sophisticated relationship with Croatia, one that will only deepen when Croatia joins the EU next year".
He said that priorities of his term would be to increase the volume of trade and investments.
