Zuzul dismissed claims by Peasant Party (HSS) leader Zlatko Tomcic that the government was gambling with Croatia's EU membership by failing to prepare for the entry talks.
He said that the government had carried out a large part of preparations for the talks and studied negotiations conducted by the ten countries admitted in May this year, and would soon appoint the heads of working groups in charge of conducting the membership talks.
The minister dismissed speculation that Croatia would have to meet new membership criteria, different than the ones put before other candidates.
He also dismissed claims that by failing to appoint the negotiating team and draw up its negotiating strategy the government had shown that it was not ready to start the talks thus jeopardising their outcome as well as the positive outcome of the referendum on EU membership.
In the continuation of today's sitting, the parliament will open a debate on the agenda that was determined this morning.