Kroatië wil besprekingen over EU-toetreding niet gezamenlijk met Turkije voeren (en)

EUOBSERVER / ROME - Croatian President Ivo Sanader says it is "logical" Europe is uneasy about future enlargement of the EU but that this should not affect current membership talks with Croatia.

Mr Sanader said the doubts expressed by some European leaders concerning the bloc's further expansion are "a logical outcome of the No votes in France and the Netherlands or the heated discussion on the financial perspective last year," he told EUobserver.

"But I insist that the negotiation process that has already started should not be jeopardised by this debate."

"Our talks are being held at a technical level so they don't go together with the debate in Europe about its future borders," he said.

Mr Sanader delivered a similar message to the centre-right European People's Party congress taking place in Rome to discuss issues concerning the future of Europe.

Several centre-right leaders, including German chancellor Angela Merkel, Austrian prime minister Wolfgang Schussel, as well as the European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso i, will join the meeting on Thursday (30 March).

Ms Merkel has recently hinted that Croatia should be treated differently to other west Balkan countries for which a "privileged partnership" rather than full membership could be considered.

For Mr Sanader it is important that his country is judged on its own merits and does not get embroiled in discussions about other EU hopefuls, such as Turkey or the other Balkan countries.

"Every single country should be judged on its own merit. That was always a principle in the EU in the way it conducts negotiations."

"But If Croatia was stopped, everyone would lose hope," noted Mr Sanader, adding that successful EU talks would be a "great message to our neighbours, as they [would] see that if they continue with reforms, they will have the same future."

"The EU [membership] perspective should be maintained for the region. When they [the other western Balkans states ] should join - that is a different issue, but the possibility of membership should be kept."

Croatia officially launched membership talks last October, following a positive assessment on its cooperation with the UN's war crimes tribunal in The Hague.

With the top Croatian war crime suspect, general Ante Gotovina, now detained in The Hague, Zagreb is currently involved in negotiations on technical issues linked with the process of adapting the country's legislation to the EU's rules.

Mr Sanader expects Croatia will have most difficulties with legislation on agriculture, the environment and state subsidies.

On top of that, the ex-Yugoslav country will also have to solve two border disputes with Slovenia.

The sea border and 670-kilometre land border between Croatia and Slovenia were never strictly defined while both republics belonged to the Yugoslav federation, but became an issue after the two states declared independence in 1991.

But Mr Sanader hopes that Slovenia will treat this as a bilateral rather than a European issue.

"After 15 years of disagreement on this, we should go for international arbitration and both sides should accept its results," said Mr Sanader.

The other political hot potato concerns Italy and its calls for its citizens to be able to buy real estate in Croatia.

Rome argues Zagreb has committed itself to opening up its market by signing the Stabilization and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU.

But Mr Sanader hinted Italy should return the favour as the SAA requires reciprocity in this area.

"This issue has become a little bit complicated during the pre-election time in Italy, I must admit. But I hope that after the elections we will be able to solve it."