"Prime Minister Verhofstadt told me Belgium would support Croatia, but expects us to solve outstanding issues with the Hague tribunal," Sanader said.
Sanader, who is on a two-day visit to Brussels, where an EU summit is being held, informed his Belgian counterpart of the Croatian government's policy about that issue and added Croatia was aware of its obligations and would act accordingly.
Sanader said, however, "I expect (officials) not to hold debates about something that is not realistic and we will do what we can to solve the outstanding issues".
He expressed conviction that a report which ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte would submit to UN Security Council on 23 November and a decision of the European Council about the date of the start of negotiations would be positive for Croatia.
"I am convinced the Croatian government would assure all factors in the international community, primarily those within the European Union, of the credibility of our policy and that this would be the key for Carla del Ponte's report and the European Council's decision in December," Sanader said.
Sanader said the talks with Verhofstadt were an opportunity to express gratitude to the Belgian government, which was very active in the process of peace reintegration of the Croatian Danube River Region and the reconstruction of the port of Vukovar. The talks also focused on some concrete projects, such as the possibility of staging an exhibition of the Croatian Renaissance art in Palais des beaux-arts in Brussels, the Croatian PM said.
Verhofstadt accepted the invitation to visit Croatia, Sanader said.
The Croatian PM is also scheduled to meet the president of the Belgian Parliament's House of Representatives, Herman de Croo. Later today he is scheduled, together with PMs of the other three country-candidates, to hold talks with the president of the European Council, Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende. Sanader is also expected to meet the European Commission President, Romano Prodi, and the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker.