Grabar-Kitarovic held separate talks with the speaker of Canada's Senate, Noel A. Kinsella, Bulgarian European Affairs Minister Gergana Hristova Grancharova, and Japan's Deputy Foreign Minister Midori Matsushima.
Croatia and Canada have good relations but there is room to expand them, Grabar-Kitarovic and Kinsella agreed. Their talks focused on the situation in Southeast Europe, Kosovo's status, and current international relations.
The Croatian and Bulgarian ministers were agreed that bilateral relations were friendly and stable and that Sofia strongly supported Zagreb's drawing closer towards European Union membership.
Grabar-Kitarovic and Matsushima confirmed Croatia-Japan relations were good, but that economic cooperation should be intensified. The Croatian minister mentioned the possibilities of the seaport of Rijeka and cooperation in tourism.
The conference in the southern Adriatic resort of Dubrovnik was opened by Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader. Croatian Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks, NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer and Latvian PM Aigras Kalvitis were also due to give speeches.
The two-day event gathered presidents of state, prime ministers and senior officials of several European countries as well as representatives of international organisations, who are due to discuss the future of Southeast Europe.
One of the participants, Republican Congressman George Radanovich from California, said yesterday that Croatia had shown the world through its democratic and economic achievements that it deserved to be invited to join NATO.