U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, listens as Croatia's Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic speaks during a joint press conference in Dubrovnik, Croatia, Friday, Oct. 2, 2020.
Pompeo is in Croatia as part of his six-day trip to Southern Europe.
(AP Photo/Darko Bandic, Pool)DUBROVNIK – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pledged Friday that Washington will remain engaged in the Balkans where China and Russia have been gaining political and economic influence.
On the eve of the visit, Croatia’s left-leaning president, Zoran Milanovic, criticized Pompeo for allegedly wanting to pressure Croatia to buy the U.S. aircraft.
“We also discussed how American defense technologies can grow our strategic and economic relationship,” Pompeo said, adding that the purchase of the fighter jets is Croatia’s “sovereign decision.”