With its sustained GDP growth and the highest credit rating in its history, Croatia is catching up with the more developed EU member states, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in an interview with CNN on Monday evening.

Croatia’s prospects as the newest member of the European Union in terms of economic growth and catching up with countries that joined the EU earlier are very positive, Plenkovic told CNN’s Richard Quest.

Global rating agencies Standard&Poor’s and Fitch Ratings recently upgraded Croatia’s credit rating from BBB+ to A-.

“The majority supporting the new commission is very balanced”

The Prime Minister announced that his government will continue to create better conditions for Croatian households and businesses, especially for foreign investors, including those from America, with whom he will meet during his stay in New York.

He also said that his government will not deviate from the centre-right policy he has been pursuing for the past eight years.

In Europe, however, the political architecture has changed. Plenkovic sees the reasons for this in the consequences of illegal migration, which has affected the security of citizens, in the economic and social consequences of the Covid pandemic and in the Russian aggression against Ukraine, which has caused the biggest energy crisis, the rise in energy prices and inflationary pressure.

But the European institutions are now starting a new term, and all members of the European Commission come from moderate parties, Plenkovic said. The majority supporting the new Commission is very balanced and is not influenced by extreme political parties, he added.

“We are watching closely what is happening in the United States”

Asked about the upcoming presidential elections in the United States, the Croatian Prime Minister said that the choice of American citizens should be respected.

We have cooperated with the administrations of former President Trump and President Biden, we will respect the will of the American people, we want everything to go well and for American democracy to be stronger after the November elections and not weaker, as was the case after the previous elections, Plenkovic emphasised.

We are watching closely what is happening in the United States, he said, noting that there is a lot of polarisation in American society, but that this is also the case in some other democratic countries.

Plenkovic is on a week-long visit to the United States. On Friday he will address the UN General Assembly, and before that he will visit Los Angeles and Chicago.