In a Committee hearing held on July 23, whose transcript was released on Thursday, Lantos drew attention to "the excellent work" of Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, saying that under Sanader's leadership "Croatia has made important strides in the important task of integrating Croatia with NATO and in preparing Croatia for full membership in the European Union."
Describing Sanader's involvement in Croatian politics since 1992, Lantos highlighted his role in strengthening, modernising and reforming the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) into a pro-European, centre-right party.
The Congressman applauded Sanader's efforts to ensure that Croatia becomes "an active participant in critically important international institutions" such as NATO and the EU, which "provide a framework for intra-European and trans-Atlantic cooperation."
According to Lantos, Sanader has taken important steps to prepare his country for EU membership.
"Under his leadership, Croatia has seen healthy economic growth of some four percent annually, and there have been important reforms in the country"s judicial system and the system of land registry. He has been willing to take tough decisions to move Croatia forward," the US Congressman said and added: "It is expected that Croatia will receive a formal invitation to become a full member of the Alliance at the NATO Summit in Bucharest next summer."
Lantos also emphasised Sanader's efforts to foster trans-Atlantic dialogue at the Croatia Summit on "Europe's New South", which took place earlier this month in Dubrovnik.
Lantos concluded his speech by commending the Croatian Prime Minister "for his role in moving Croatia from a past of divisive nationalism to a future of economic and political progress through active and responsible international cooperation."
Lantos, 79, is a Democratic Party veteran with 26 years of service in Congress. He is one of the most influential members of the Croatian Congressional Caucus, which includes more than 50 Congressmen and which strongly supports bilateral relations between the United States and Croatia and Croatia's efforts to join NATO and the EU.