Sanader was among the prime ministers and leaders of parties in the International Democratic Union (IDU) who were received by Bush.
Sanader told Croatian reporters the meeting focused on the war on terrorism and that he underlined that "Croatia is a firm and reliable partner in the anti-terrorist coalition" because it experienced terrorism in the early 1990s when the then Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic attacked and occupied one-fourth of its territory.
Sanader said the meeting also provided an opportunity for brief private talks with Bush, during which he reiterated that Croatia was a reliable member of the anti-terrorist coalition and fully supported the war on terror. He also asked for support for Croatia's bid to join NATO and the EU.
"President Bush gave me his support for Croatia's efforts to join these two associations".
Sanader said he invited the United States president to visit Croatia and that Bush said he heard Croatia was a very beautiful country and that he would think about it.
In his capacity as president of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), Sanader yesterday attended a conference of IDU parties' leaders at which the HDZ became a member of this international association, which gathers more than 80 conservative, democratic Christian and similar centre and centre-right parties from 60 countries. Bush's Republican Party is also an IDU member.
Sanader said the meeting with Bush also addressed the IDU's role in the spreading of common democratic values around the world.
Sanader added Croatia marked the tenth anniversary of its liberation this year and that it knew very well what terrorism is and therefore understood what happened in London, Madrid and the US.
On Tuesday, Sanader is scheduled to meet Bush's advisor on national security Stephen Hadley, which the Croatian PM said was very important because he expected further bilateral talks, and an assessment of the situation in Southeast Europe and Croatia's progress towards NATO and the EU.
Sanader is also scheduled to meet the management of the US company General Dynamics. Asked if Croatia planned on buying military equipment from the US, he said he would see what General Dynamics was offering. The US company deals in military equipment and is interested in cooperating with the Croatian company Djuro Djakovic.
"In any case, we support Djuro Djakovic's cooperation with them, obviously by the mutual benefit principle," said the Croatian PM.