"I am sure that we can start negotiations with the EU as soon as possible, as Croatia has met all the criteria, including full cooperation with the international tribunal in The Hague," Sanader told an extraordinary session of the club of deputies of the European People's Party in the Committee of Regions. The session is taking place in the southern Croatian coastal resort of Dubrovnik.
Commenting on the case of the runaway general Ante Gotovina and the ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte's arrival in Zagreb, scheduled for Thursday afternoon, the Croatian PM said that according to all the available information which his cabinet had, the fugitive general was not in Croatia.
We would like to solve this outstanding issue and there is no reason for Croatia to behave differently in this particular problem from how it behaved in the last year when 10 indictees were transferred to The Hague, Sanader said adding that he believed that his meeting with Del Ponte would make it possible for them to solve all dilemmas concerning this case.
Addressing the gathered in Dubrovnik, Sanader said that this session served as an acknowledgement of efforts the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and the Croatian government had so far invested in achieving a joint European future.
We are firmly committed to our efforts aimed at building Europe given that if we want peace and prosperity for all our citizens, there is no alternative to the European Union, the Croatian official said.
The chairman of the EPP club of deputies in the Committee of Regions, Isidor Gottard, said the EPP would support Croatia's admission to the EU and that he believed that the European Council would on 16 and 17 June initiate the process of the country's integration.
Croatian Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic, who is an HDZ senior official, also addressed the event. He spoke about the cultural cooperation between countries adding that efficient cultural cooperation had considerably contributed to the enhancement of regional cooperation.