"Nothing dramatic will happen if the negotiations don't start on 17 March," Popijac said on Thursday at the presentation of the first issue of a magazine for Croatian entrepreneurs called "EUkonomist".
Commenting on media headlines on a possible postponement of the start of entry talks, Polijac said Croatia was already deep in the process of adjustment for EU membership and added that the process must continue regardless of the date for the start of negotiations.
Croatia must undergo a transformation process necessary for joining the EU, regardless of whether negotiations will start or not, Popijac said.