Croatian citizens will soon be able to travel to the US without visas, State Secretary Mike Pompeo told Hina on Friday during his visit to the southern coastal city of Dubrovnik.

Abolishment of visas for the Croatians can be expected in the coming months.

Asked when Croatia and the US would sign the Visa Waiver Program, Pompeo said he hoped this would happen very soon, in the coming months. He stopped short of specifying the exact date.

There is still some paperwork to be done, administrative things, some of which should be done by us and some are up to the Croatian leadership. We have discussed them with Foreign Minister Gordan Grlic Radman, and I am sure we will discuss this matter with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, he added.

Pompeo admitted that the visa regime and double taxation made doing business for Croatian entrepreneurs in the US more difficult. They are also obstacles for US investment in Croatia, he said.

I believe the double taxation convention will be concluded. We can now exchange the drafts, which is a very good sign, Pompeo told Hina.

On Wednesday, the Croatian government initiated the procedure for the conclusion of this convention.

Pompeo also commented on the investment climate in Croatia and Europe, saying that whenever US officials come to Europe and places where they know they share the same values of fair market competition, it does not help to see the Chinese Communist Party being treated differently from a European or American company. This puts people off from investing their capital in Croatia, Pompeo said.

I am optimistic that things will improve in that regard. We want to be here, we want to be active, he concluded.