"Whoever questions this date without valid arguments destabilises Croatia, which has central strategic significance for the entire region. It would be a belated historical joke if the EU started negotiations with semi-democratic Turkey and left the Central European country of Croatia waiting," Bernd Posselt said in a statement sent to Hina on Wednesday.
Posselt rejected Monday's "harsh attacks" on Croatia by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn and added that "apart from Switzerland, Croatia is the only Central European country that is not yet part of the EU."
"Thanks to the government of Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Croatia is mature for admission" to the bloc, said Posselt, who is also a European People's Party member of the European Parliament.