The interview with Mesic was published on the occasion of his participation in the 50th general assembly of the international Atlantic Council in Rome on Wednesday.
"Croatia decided to meet conditions and implement standards required for joining NATO. Once we meet out obligations the issue of joining will be only a formality. We are reorganising our armed forces and we can realise the set objectives in several years," Mesic told the daily.
"For us there is no difference between the European Union and NATO -- both are based on the same values, the vision of a uniting rather than a dividing Europe. Croatia was granted a candidate status and we expect that the date of the start of negotiations would be set soon," Croatia's head of state said.
"Croatia is a stability factor in this part of the region and it wants to continue to normalise relations with neighbouring countries. Stability and security are no longer only the issue of democracy and reforms of some countries. Cooperation is vital," Mesic said when asked what could Croatia do for NATO.
Asked whether ICTY Chief Prosecutor Carla del Ponte's accusations that Croatia was not fully cooperating with the tribunal would soon be removed, given that they block Croatia's negotiations with the EU, Mesic stressed Croatia cooperated with the Hague tribunal.
"All Croatian citizens who were summoned showed up in court either as witnesses, suspects of indictees. All but one -- Ante Gotovina," Mesic said.
There is no reason to protect one person, Mesic said and added that he stressed on several occasions that the Hague tribunal was the only place where Gotovina could prove his innocence.
Asked whether Croatia's relations with neighbouring countries and Russia would change after Croatia joined the EU, Mesic said that Croatia's joining Euro-Atlantic structures would not change its relations with other countries.
"It is necessary to open borders and intensify cooperation. That's Croatia's policy and we want to see our neighbours sending the same message. I believe that Serbia accepted the fact that its future can be built only on democratic processes. Therefore we must support reform processes in Serbia. As for Russia, our two countries have excellent relations and share interest in stronger economic cooperation," Mesic said.
In the introduction, the daily said that Mesic was a stability factor in Croatia for four years and added that during his term in office he led Croatia out of "Tudjman's nationalist self-isolation" and opened up new prospects.