Sanader thanked the EPP-ED leadership for deciding to hold the meeting in Croatia for the first time.
"The leadership of the strongest group in the European Parliament today began a meeting in Split and this is certainly a strong signal to Croatia that we have their full support," he said.
Sanader thanked Poettering for the decision and for clearing up a misunderstanding which appeared yesterday following his alleged statement about Croatia's EU accession. "If everyone in Europe will have such a position on Croatia and our prospects, the one that the EPP-ED and Mr Poettering have, then there is no fear for Croatia."
Poettering underlined that the EPP-ED has 263 deputies and is the strongest group in the EP.
We are friends of Croatia because it opted for democracy, he said. I have full confidence in Prime Minister Sanader and the HDZ (the ruling Croatian Democratic Union party) as a member of the EPP. This is why we decided to hold this meeting in Split, he added.
In Split we talked with the prime minister and members of his government and after those talks we are confident that Croatia is on the good path for entering the EU and this group supports it unreservedly, said Poettering.
He once again denied having said in an interview with Reuters news agency that Croatia's European prospects were uncertain because EU citizens feared enlargement.