SANADER: OUR AIM IS TO OBTAIN POSITIVE OPINION NEXT TUESDAY

ZAGREB, April 15 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Thursday that the aim of his government was to get a positive opinion from the European Commission next week on Croatia's application for EU membership, and obtain candidate status and a date for the start of admission talks at a session of the European Council in June.#L# The Croatian application will be on the agenda of a European Commission session scheduled for April 20. Sanader said he was confident that the European Commission would recognise all the results Croatia had achieved in democratising the country and attaining democratic standards of the European Union as well as its efforts with regard to respect for human and minority rights. "I am confident that the European Commission will recognise those efforts and issue a positive opinion on Croatia's application for membership in the European Union," Sanader said at the start of a government session. The prime minister said that such a decision would make a positive impact on the position and image of the country and encourage investment, particularly so-called greenfield investment, but added that it would not "solve our problems". Sanader welcomed the efforts that were being made in economy-related departments, including measures aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship and changes to the fiscal policy. "We must complete our tasks on the home front," the prime minister said, adding that those included efforts to promote moderate growth of living standards and care for people, especially for socially disadvantaged citizens. Sanader went on to say that a positive decision of the European Commission would also have an important international aspect, because it would motivate other countries in Southeast Europe to follow Croatia's example. "Croatia can be a positive example to the countries in the region," he said. (Hina) vm