Speaking to Croatian reporters in Washington, she said Croatian-US relations were constantly improving and that Prime Minister Ivo Sanader's visit last week and her current one reflected the will to work on the further development of relations.
On Friday, Grabar-Kitarovic is scheduled to meet the United States Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns.
She said the talks would focus on bilateral cooperation, cooperation in the permanent stabilisation and integration of Croatia and other countries in Southeast Europe into transatlantic associations, the European Union and NATO.
The minister said the talks were also expected to address cooperation in the settlement of global threats within multilateral organisations and initiatives.
The press asked if Croatia was ready to meet the US requests that it sign a bilateral agreement against extraditing Americans to the International Court of Justice and to become militarily engaged in Iraq.
Grabar-Kitarovic said that in relations with every state, including with the US, Croatia first saw to its own national interests.
She said that as a EU entry candidate, Croatia would adjust its foreign policy with the Union, which is against the above non-extradition agreement.
Regarding Croatia's military presence in Iraq, the minister said this had not been discussed because Croatia did not have its troops there, but added that three Croatian police inspectors were training Iraqi police in Jordan.
Grabar-Kitarovic today gave a talk at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington about Croatia-US relations and Croatia's EU and NATO integration processes.
She said Croatia expected to be invited to join NATO in 2006 and voiced confidence EU accession negotiations would be launched soon.
The minister underlined Croatia was doing its utmost to carry out the government's action plan to locate general Ante Gotovina, who is wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal, and prove that it was fully cooperating with the tribunal, which is the condition for launching the EU entry negotiations.
The Croatian reporters also asked her if Croatia would buy US combat aircraft F16 in order to renew its air force, as alleged by the Croatian media.
Grabar-Kitarovic said this issue would be discussed by the government and other competent institutions.
Speaking of her talks yesterday with a representative of the US company Lockeed Martin, which manufactures combat aircraft, the minister said they discussed bilateral relations but not aircraft.