Under the agreement, half the EUR 4.93 million rental will be paid by Split and half by the government, and after 30 years the hall and all facilities will be owned by the city.
Sanader said the signing of the agreement was important for Split and Croatia, and that he was pleased the ruling coalition and the opposition were agreed about the construction, just like they were in parliament when the decision was made to organise the world handball championship in Croatia.
"We are a handball nation which won important medals, from the world championship to the Olympic gold. That's why we must prove ourselves as good hosts by organising the 2009 World Championship... Split is getting a big sports arena which is important for the championship, but also for all other sports in the city. Split will thus join the world's sport capitals," said Sanader.
"We must not embarrass ourselves in 2009, and all sports halls, from Zagreb via Porec, Osijek, Zadar and Split, will be built on time and finished by 15 December 2008," he said, adding that he would personally ask the towns to submit weekly construction reports.
Sanader said Zadar had gone the farthest as 90 per cent of the hall there was already finished. He added that although the state did not help in the construction, it would do so through other forms of financing, just as it was helping the other towns prepare for the 2009 championship.
Split Mayor Kureta said EUR 150 million would be invested in the sports hall.
Present at the signing were Finance Minister Ivan Suker, Deputy PM Damir Polancec, and city councillors.