ZAGREB SHOULDN'T EXPECT TOO MUCH OF JOINING EU IN 2007 - VERHEUGEN

ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - The Croatian government should not have too many expectations to join the European Union in 2007, European Enlargement Commissioner Guenter Verheugen has said in an interview with Sueddeutsche Zeitung of Friday.#L# The German daily says Croatia's new Prime Minister Ivo Sanader has asked during his recent visit to Brussels that negotiations begin as early as this summer so that Croatia could join the EU in 2007. Verheugen has cautioned the government not to exaggerate with expectations about joining the EU in 2007. "2007 is a date which can bring big disappointments," he said in reply to a question from the daily's reporter. Sueddeutsche Zeitung says Sanader has given guarantees in Brussels that he wants to carry out extensive reforms to prepare Croatia to join the EU and that Zagreb is willing to "fulfil all commitments", including "full cooperation" with the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. The daily says the tribunal has been asking Zagreb in vain for a long time to extradite retired general Ante Gotovina. If Croatia turns the "popular war hero" over to the tribunal, the European Commission might approve Croatia's membership application as early as the spring, the daily says, adding that Zagreb hopes the EU prime ministers and presidents will okay the start of access negotiations at a summit scheduled for June. (Hina) ha sb