Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda said on Monday, commenting on reports in some Croatian media.
I refuse attempts to question Slovakia's support to Croatia's EU integration efforts and disrupt our relations, reads a statement released by Dzurinda's office and forwarded to Hina by the Croatian government's public relations office.
Dzurinda said he trusted the professionalism of Croatian reporters in interpreting Slovakia's support for the Croatian public.
Slovakia supports Croatia's efforts to become an EU member and has used every opportunity to support the start of the country's accession talks, reads Dzurinda's statement.
The Slovak PM recalls in his statement that he was the first prime minister of an EU member country to officially visit Zagreb after the EU decided to launch membership talks with Croatia in October.
I came to congratulate the Croatians and confirm that our support will continue, he said, adding that he also presented concrete proposals for cooperation and support during the visit.
Slovaks want to share the experience gained in the process of EU integration so that Croatia could be better prepared for joining the bloc, the Slovak PM said.
As part of such efforts, Slovak Finance Minister Ivan Miklos will visit Zagreb in early December and Croatian negotiators will meet their Slovak colleagues in Bratislava later that month, Dzurinda said.
The Slovak news agency TASR on Friday quoted Dzurinda as saying to SME daily that the EU needed a break in its enlargement process.
The agency quoted Dzurinda as saying that the outgoing German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder had told him that the EU needed a break in its further enlargement. I think that we all feel that way, Dzurinda said.
Although Dzurinda and Slovak Foreign Minister Eduard Kukan had supported EU enlargement as the best response to the crisis which the EU got into after the unsuccessful referendums on the European constitution in France and the Netherlands, and later both welcomed the decision to launch entry talks with Croatia and Turkey, Dzurinda told TASR that the Croatians were aware that their EU entry would not happen in the next two years.