"Every crime is a crime and there is no statute of limitations for it," Sanader said after Sunday's commemoration for the victims of the Jasenovac concentration camp, when asked to comment on a statement President Stjepan Mesic made two days ago when laying wreaths at Jasenovac.
Mesic said that the victims of Jasenovac and Bleiburg should not be equated because "none of the people at Jasenovac were guilty of the suffering of people killed in Foibas or at Bleiburg, while many at Bleiburg were guilty of somebody's death".
Asked whether he would attend this year's commemoration at Bleiburg, Sanader said that the Sabor Speaker would attend the ceremony in his stead.
Asked about the Petrac case, Sanader said that he was familiar with the latest developments in the case, but that he could not speak about it because of the ongoing investigation. "The police have been in contact with Interpol and I am being informed about everything," the PM said, adding that he would be able to make statements after concrete steps were taken.
President Mesic on Saturday confirmed that it had been established that businessman Hrvoje Petrac, who was sentenced pending appeal to six years in prison for the kidnapping of General Vladimir Zagorac's underage son, was in Israel and that measures had been taken to have him extradited.
Asked about media reports that Petrac provided funding for Ante Gotovina, the Croatian general wanted by the Hague war crimes tribunal, Sanader said he could not speak about any details for the time being.
"Minister Kalmeta stays in the government," he said, when asked to say whether Bozidar Kalmeta, the Ministry of the Sea, Transport, Tourism and Development, would step down following claims by the manager of the Zadar-based "Tankerska plovidba" shipping company, Stanko Banic, who said that Kalmeta had demanded, at the time when he was Zadar mayor, that Banic's company finance the defence of General Gotovina.
"Minister Klameta has dismissed the claims and I believe him," Sanader said, adding that Banic's claims were motivated by the upcoming local elections and that their purpose was to boost the rating of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Kalmeta is heading the Zadar city list for the fourth time and he has beaten Banic three times so far, the PM said. "It is not by chance that he is making such statements right now and he hit the spot which he knew the international community would react to," he added.
Asked whether he would resign if Croatia did not start EU entry negotiations in June, Sanader categorically dismissed the possibility, saying that it was not him, but Croatia that would or would not win the start of the talks.