Grabar Kitarovic was on a working visit to the United States during which she attended a working lunch organised by the New Atlantic Initiative at which she spoke about relations between the two countries and Croatia's efforts to join the EU and NATO.
The event was also attended by representatives of the State Department and the White House's National Security Council in charge of Croatia, as well as representatives of the academic community, who play an important role in creating the US policy.
The visit of the Croatian minister comes at a time when Croatia is trying to strengthen relations with the United States which a part of the Croatian public believes to have been neglected lately because of Croatia's focusing on the EU.
Addressing Croatian reporters, Grabar Kitarovic said the relations between the two countries were good and constantly improving and that the two countries were increasingly interested in developing those relations in all areas.
Grabar Kitarovic's visit comes after last week's visit by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader to the United States. During talks with his US hosts, the PM insisted on Croatia's role in the fight against terrorism and on ensuring stability in Southeastern Europe, stating that his country expected support from the United States in its efforts to join NATO and the EU.
Minister Grabar Kitarovic minister said that public debates in Croatia might have been focused more on the EU because of the country's efforts to start accession talks.
"However, this does not mean that relations with America have been neglected because it has always been in our interest to improve relations with America," she said adding that the Croatia-US relations and Croatia's EU aspirations were complementary.
Croatia wants to establish partnership with the United States both with regard to bilateral relations and Croatia's role in Southeastern Europe, its participation in the strengthening of the trans-Atlantic community, and the global fight against terrorism and other threats to global security, the minister said.
The Croatia-US relations have been intensified lately. Apart from Sanader and Grabar Kitarovic's visits to the US, Grabar Kitarovic recently met US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice on the margins of a conference of the Community of Democracies in Chile and a conference on Iraq held in London.
The minister stressed Croatia's role in efforts to permanently stabilise Southeastern Europe, adding that "America certainly wants Croatia to assume responsibility" in the region.
During the talks at the New Atlantic Initiative, the purpose of which is to strengthen trans-Atlantic relations and usher new democracies into NATO, Grabar Kitarovic said the admission of Southeastern European countries to the EU and NATO should be accelerated because it directly affected reform processes in the region and efforts to stabilise it.
"As regards Croatia, it is very important to start EU entry talks as soon as possible, as well as receive an invitation to join NATO at the next summit, which we believe will be held in 2006," the minister said.
On Thursday Grabar Kitarovic will speak about Croatia's relations with the US, the EU and NATO at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. She is expected to hold meetings with US officials on Friday.