I am expecting the positive decision, despite of everything, as this is a topic of vital importance both to Croatia and Europe, Sanader told reporters who were covering Wednesday's work of the Sabor.
Commenting on the latest letter of the Hague tribunal's Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte which some Croatian media carried yesterday, Sanader said this was nothing new and that his cabinet had been acquainted with that report on Croatia's cooperation with the tribunal last Friday. In this context, he added that while compiling that letter del Ponte had not yet received a report which Croatian Chief State Prosecutor Mladen Bajic had sent to the Hague tribunal's prosecution.
According to Reuters, del Ponte yesterday sent the letter to Jean Asselborn, Foreign Minister of Luxembourg, which is now presiding over the EU, assessing that Croatia was not fully cooperating with the UN court.
Next week we are expecting another assessment by del Ponte, which will be final, and the political decision on opening the entry talks will most probably be made on 16 March at the meeting of the EU Council of Foreign Ministers, Sanader said today.
During Question Time at the start of parliament's new session, Sanader said that his cabinet was preparing an answer to the last letter of del Ponte.
Croatian Foreign and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic will send the answer today or tomorrow to the Luxembourg Presidency of the EU and other EU member states, Sanader said adding that Del Ponte had expressed some positions with which Croatia could not agree. He, however, did not reveal the contents of Croatia's letter.
Answering a question posed by Anto Djapic of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP), Sanader strongly refuted media speculation that the British intelligence service had send nine instructions to Croatian government about measures of monitoring, bugging of phones etc.
No intelligence service of any country can order the (Croatian) government what to do, and nobody has ever issued orders to the government what to do, Sanader said.
In this context he said he would refused to act on any order except on orders of those who elected him as premier.
This statement by Sanader was welcomed by applause from members of parliament,