We do not think that Croatia is a part of the future wave of the (European Union) enlargement. Croatia is the last part of the ongoing process of the enlargement according to the formula 10 plus two plus one, Brok told a news conference in Zagreb after meeting Sanader.
According to the Croatian premier, it was Brok who promoted this formula (10 + 2 + 1), referring to 10 newcomers in the EU that entered the Union in 2004, two are Bulgaria and Romania that are to join the Union and 1 is Croatia.
Brok added that the EP foreign affairs committee plays a leading role in the process of the expansion of the Union and its decision will be important.
In this context, this official of Germany's CDU party pointed out the importance of the individual merits of aspirants and Croatia's leading role in the region.
Sanader and Brok expressed hope that discussions on the EU's Constitution would be completed until the end of 2008.
Croatia is not threatened nor are its prospects for EU membership threatened by the fact that some issues concerning the European Constitution are still not settled, Sanader said.
Brok conveyed Chancellor Angela Mrkel's message that during Germany's Presidency of the EU in the first half of next year, Berlin would launch an initiative for the completion of the negotiations on the EU Constitution within the time term, i.e. until the end of 2008.
The German expressed hope that an agreement on Croatia's full EU membership would be signed before 2009 elections for the European Parliament and thus Croatian observers may become full deputies to the EP.
Asked by reporters about possible engagement of Croatian troops in the peace mission in Lebanon, PM Sanader said that his cabinet had not yet received any such request from the European Union, adding that in the event of receiving such request Zagreb was willing to consider it.