"I would like to thank Olli Rehn for keeping the promise that the negotiations would start on the day it was assessed that Croatia was cooperating fully with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia," said Sanader.
He added the screening process, which evaluates the adjustment of Croatian laws with EU standards, would start on October 20 and voiced hope that negotiations on some chapters would be opened soon and closed quickly.
Rehn congratulated Croatia on the EU entry negotiations, opened earlier this week, saying they were the result of economic and political reforms and full cooperation with the tribunal in The Hague.
Rehn said Croatia had the chance to pull a hat-trick this week. He congratulated it on the EU entry talks and Independence Day, which is celebrated today, and wished it the best at the Croatia-Sweden soccer match to be played in Zagreb tonight.
Now everything is in your hands, and legs, said Rehn.
He wraps up his visit to Croatia tomorrow, when he is scheduled to visit the European Commission Delegation in Zagreb.