"I expect Canada to strongly support Croatia's candidacy for NATO membership ahead of the summit in Riga," Roncevic said in a phone interview from Ottawa ahead of tomorrow's officials talks with Canadian Minister of National Defence Gordon O'Connor.
He stressed this was the first minister of a Croatian defence miniszer to Canada which marks a new phase and promotes Croatia's cooperation with an important member of NATO.
The two ministers will talk about the implementation of defence reforms in Croatia, an agreement on technical cooperation, the training of Croatian officers in Canada, Croatia's participation in NATO's peace mission in Afghanistan and other issues of mutual interest.
On Monday Roncevic held talks with Croat business people in Canada, members of the so-called Group 100, which gathers successful business people of Croatian background from both Americas who want to invest in Croatia and do business with Croatian companies.
On Sunday the Croatian delegation met Croatian emigrants in Mississauga.
Before visiting Canada, the Croatian minister visited the Pentagon and held talks with US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld, who fully supported Croatia's aspirations to join NATO.