"Bulgaria is several steps ahead of Croatia, which is about to launch EU entry talks. Bulgaria can help us not to make mistakes and accelerate the negotiating process," Mesic said.
"Bulgaria will continue to support Croatia's accelerated integration with the EU. This year it expects a decision on the completion of negotiations with the EU and the signing of an accession agreement early next year and hopes to join the Union in January 2007," the Bulgarian President, who is on an officials two-day visit to Croatia, said.
"We will share our rich experience with our friends in Croatia so as to accelerate Croatia's path to the EU which is not easy," Parvanov said.
Asked whether Croatia's plan to end negotiations with the EU in two years was ambitious and whether there was a possibility for Croatia to join the Union in 2007 together with Bulgaria and Romania, namely that the two countries wait for Croatia to join the EU, Mesic said there was no need for anybody to wait for Croatia.
"It is up to Croatia to meet conditions necessary for the EU admission. If Croatia succeeds to meet all the conditions, I believe we will catch up and join the Union together with Bulgaria and Romania," Mesic said.
I agree with the Croatian president that there is no need to wait for anybody, and I believe that nobody in the EU expects that, Parvanov said.
"Progress of each country is assessed individually," the Bulgarian president said and added it was up to Croatia to accelerate its path and catch up with Bulgaria.
Bulgaria can offer concrete help to Croatia on the political front because it will be a significant factor in this part of the Balkans and it has a team of experts with great experience who can help Croatia not to make the mistakes Bulgaria did in the negotiating process, President Parvanov said.
The two president also talked about the traditionally good bilateral relations in all areas. They said, however, that there was room for improvement.
The Croatia-Bulgaria trade increased last year, but there is still plenty of room for improvement, Mesic said.
Parvanov said it had been his idea that Bulgaria be the partner country at the International Zagreb Autumn Fair in 2003 which helped the improvement of the two countries' trade.
Today's talks also focused on better traffic connections between the two countries.
Mesic and Parvanov talked about the opening of the Danube river as a means of communications and agreed that this would help the revitalisation of Croatia's Vukovar port and economy in that region.
Later today, Parvanov will meet Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks and Zagreb mayor Vlasta Pavic. The Bulgarian President will travel to the southern Adriatic city of Dubrovnik on Friday.