The head of the Croatian delegation, Kresimir Cosic, told a news conference in Zagreb on Friday that the talks would focus on Euro-Atlanic integration processes, measures to counter terrorism, and Croatia's engagement in peace missions.
We need to have stronger parliamentary diplomacy with the aim of supporting processes of Euro-Atlantic integration both on the internal and foreign scene," Cosic said.
During their tour of the United States, Croatian parliamentarians will also visit Minnesota.
In 1994 we signed an agreement on military cooperation and partnership with Minnesota, Cosic said, adding that Croatian Army personnel are being trained in the Camp Ripley National Guard Training Facilities in that federal state.
Commenting on plans to increase Croatian troops engagement in peace missions in the world, Cosic said that it was likely that the number of Croatians in the ISAF mission in Afghanistan would rise to 300.
This topic will also be discussed with the U.S. hosts.
It is possible that Croatia will be chosen to lead the provincial reconstruction team in the province of Logar, he said adding that this would boost the reputation of the Croatian contingent in the NATO-led mission.
According to the Croatian parliamentarian, the credibility and success of NATO itself depends on the success of that mission in Afghanistan.
Foreign ministers of the Alliance member-states, who met in New York on Thursday evening, discussed the Afghanistan mission and NATO expansion.
NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said on that occasion that at the forthcoming NATO summit in the Latvian capital of Riga a strong signal of encouragement would be sent to countries aspiring to NATO membership, including Croatia, Albania and Macedonia.