"Luxembourg will indeed do everything it can so that negotiations with Croatia be launched under good conditions in early 2005," Juncker said and added that the European Council would make a decision on the date of the start of entry talks with Croatia in December.
"The European Union will not be whole or completed until Croatia joins it and Luxembourg will work on that during its chair of the European Union," Juncker said.
Croatia will be expected to make great efforts, Juncker said and added that sometimes it could be difficult to implement acquis communautaire to the national legislation. He said Croatia would also be required to respect its obligations towards the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
Juncker said the Croatian authorities had done a lot to meet ICTY requests, but added that Zagreb would have to continue making efforts.
Asked whether the decision on the start of negotiations with Croatia which the EU is expected to adopt in December would depend on a report which ICTY chief prosecutor Carla del Ponte will submit to the UN Security Council, Juncker said he was confident Croatia was proving and would continue to prove that it is doing all it can to meet its international obligations. There is no reason for the report to be negative if Croatia keeps up the good work, Juncker said.
He hailed the process of internal economic reforms and Croatia's regional cooperation.
The realisation of Croatia's aspirations to join the EU will have a positive impact on all countries in the region, Juncker said.
Sanader thanked Luxembourg on supporting Croatia and on everything the country had done over the past years, notably in the mine removal process.
"I have assured Luxembourg's PM that Croatia wants to share values of European countries, that Croatia is a country devoted to democracy, the rule of law, respect for human and minority rights, free market philosophy and that we see the admission to the EU primarily as an opportunity to improve the standard of living and wellbeing of our people," Sanader said.
Sanader and Juncker will travel to Rome on Friday to attend the ceremony of the signing of the first European Constitutions.
The Croatian government said in a special statement issued on Wednesday it shared the values, objectives and principles enshrined in the Constitutional Treaty, and considered it a valuable step in the continuous development of common European life and future. Sanader will sign the statement and submit it to the European Union on Friday.
The Prime Minister of Luxembourg is also scheduled to hold talks with Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks.