Sanader was commenting on a newspaper article saying that the Croatian Democratic Union's coalition partners -- the Independent Democratic Serb Party and the Pensioners Party -- have had a row over the question of the pensions being paid back to those people.
"There have been no requests. This issue is hanging in the air, but it is absolutely not topical," the prime minister said, adding that "the topic is out of place because neither (SDSS leader) Milorad Pupovac nor anyone else has come out with such a request."
Sanader stressed that the government had resolved the problem of the debt to pensioners in accordance with a Constitutional Court decision, and that talks were in progress on the entitlements of another 43,000 pensioners not covered by that process.
Asked to comment on the position by the Bosnian government that the construction of a 30 metre high bridge between the southern Croatian peninsula of Peljesac and the mainland would obstruct free passage to Bosnian waters, Sanader said he would like the issue to be dealt with by a joint group of experts rather than by politicians.
"The issue has probably taken on political connotations considering parliamentary elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the autumn," the Croatian prime minister said, stressing that Croatia has the right to build a bridge to connect its territory. He added that Croatia would try to resolve the issue through negotiation and announced that he would discuss it once again with Bosnian leaders.