On the basis of its four-year experience, Croatia fully agrees with the position that a comprehensive approach is necessary in efforts to deal with the challenges in Afghanistan, Grabar-Kitarovic said in her speech.
This year Croatia will increase its 150-strong contingent in the ISAF to 200 troops, and the number of Croatian officers and soldiers deployed in the mission will rise to 300 in 2008, she recalled.
The minister said that Croatia had removed all national restrictions for the deployment of its forces, but Croatian soldiers would still not be able to take part in any offensive operations such as counter-terrorist operations and clampdowns on narcotics rings.
The Croatian government on Thursday officially offered a donation of 1,000 automatic guns and 300,000 pieces of ammunition to the Afghan National Army. Croatian troops are engaged in the training of Afghan security forces.
Croatia will continue offering assistance in the training of Afghan national police in Feyzabad and assisting in the building of civil society, Minister Grabar Kitarovic said.
The Brussels meeting was held at the initiative of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said after the talks he was "relatively optimistic other nations will step up to the plate" on extra troops and aid but gave no details, Reuters reported.
Scheffer said that a global approach was necessary including the economic, political and military dimension in Afghanistan where the Taliban stepped up attacks last year.
U.S. State Secretary Rice unveiled plans for 8.6 billion dollars to train and equip the Afghan army and police, and an additional two billion for reconstruction.
"We need greater commitments to reconstruction, to development, to fight the poppy economy. We need additional
forces on the ground -- ready to fight," Rice told the ministers according to a prepared text of her remarks, Reuters reported.
The NATO-led peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan has so far engaged 32,800 troops.