"I, of course, did not want to be the last statesman to be received by the Holy Father, but that is what happened. It is an honour and privilege to me, and it is also a symbol of John Paul II's friendship and faithfulness to Croatia," Sanader told a group of Croatian journalists.
"As the head of the Catholic Church the Pope preached the Gospel, and as the head of the Vatican State he was a person who advocated peace and equality for all people in the world," the Croatian prime minister said.
The Pope "understood from the start that the Croatian people had the right to independence and self-determination and was one of those who broke the Vatican's established practice of recognising new countries only after they were recognised by the international community," Sanader said. "He was really a great man and I think he was God's gift to our time."
Asked how he felt during the funeral, Sanader said he probably felt the same way as all the other people attending the mass and those who watched it on television. "On the one hand, I was sad because a great man and a faithful friend of Croatia had gone, while on the other hand, I was glad because I know that we believers believe in life after death and that the Pope is there today. I really had mixed feelings."
Sanader used his stay in Rome for "brief, but useful" talks with several prime ministers, including those of Poland, Hungary, Austria, Germany and Britain, and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso. Together with President Mesic, he also met Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen.
Sanader said that the attitude of many European statesmen towards Croatia was favourable and that he hoped Croatia would continue on the present path towards the European Union.