"Croatia and Montenegro have had good relations in the past, except in the 1990s when some Montenegrins accepted the policy of Slobodan Milosevic, while a majority were against it. That time is behind us," Sanader said at the end of his visit in the coastal town of Kotor, where he met Mayor Maja Catovic.
"Apologies were offered for the attacks on Dubrovnik and other areas of Croatia. Now is the time for a new relationship, a new future. We must rise above the past, and conditions have been created for the development of a good relationship," he added.
"You have a friend in Croatia, and we will help Montenegro with our experience in Euro-Atlantic integration processes," the Croatian prime minister said.
Sanader went on to say that today's talks between Croatian and Montenegrin business people focused on joint projects, particularly in the tourist industry and the construction of infrastructure in Montenegro.
On behalf of the Croatian government, Sanader presented Catovic with a cheque in the amount of two million kuna (approximately EUR272,000) for the reconstruction of the Roman Catholic Church of St Eustachius in Kotor.
Sanader also met representatives of the Croatian Civil Initiative, the only Croatian political party in Montenegro which holds one seat in the national assembly, and representatives of Croatian non-governmental organisations and cultural societies, who complained of attempts at assimilation, unemployment and property restitution.
Sanader said that the Croatian Embassy in Podgorica would help them in dealing with those problems and in preserving Croatian cultural identity in Montenegro. He pledged greater financial support for the Croatian minority in Montenegro.