Komorowski is heading a Polish delegation on a two-day official visit to Croatia at Josipovic's invitation and he will also meet with other Croatian state officials.

"We agreed that the enlargement policy is of strategic interest for the EU and our country and the region", President Joispovic said, adding that Croatia is particularly interested in EU enlargement in southeast Europe.

The Polish president said that he counted on Croatia supporting EU enlargement to countries that lie east of Poland too.

Just like we advocate deepening the integration processes in your region, I hope you will comprehend the need for the EU to remain open to countries east of Poland, particularly Ukraine and Moldova, President Komorowski said, adding that a partnership agreement which is yet to be signed between the EU and Ukraine was of "strategic importance".

President Josipovic said that "Europe is not complete until all countries that belong to it in civilisation terms are not a constituent part of it". "In that context, all countries that meet the set conditions are welcome and we in Croatia will support them politically and technically", Croatia's head of state said.

The two presidents underscored the need to strengthen economic cooperation and President Josipovic noted that possible areas for cooperation could be road construction, tourism and the timber and food industries.

"Economic cooperation could be enhanced... When referring to tourism, I don't just mean because a growing number of Poles are coming to the Adriatic but also the opportunity for Polish companies to invest into the tourism infrastructure", President Josipovic said.

Asked whether the Polish insurance company PZU's would buy a majority stake in Croatia's insurance company Croatia Osiguranje, President Josipovic said that "healthy competition and transparency will be the foundation of the privatisation process".

President Komorowski is accompanied by a business delegation which includes representatives of PZU, headed by PZU's CEO Andrzej Klesyk. PZU has stated its interest in participating in the privatisation of CO and in buying a majority stake.

President Komorowski considers that the level of economic relations between the two countries does not correspond to the needs and possibilities, but with Croatia's entry to the EU, much greater opportunities will open up based on maintaining traditional friendship in economic relations, which is the basis for further development. He added that Polish companies are interested in privatisation processes in Croatia and called on Croatian companies to become active in Poland, adding that the Warsaw Stock Exchange was stronger than that in Vienna.

President Josipovic did not omit to tell the press conference of Poland's great support to Croatia on its path to Euro-Atlantic integration and expressed hope that Poland would give Croatia good advice on how to draw European funds and how to create a successful agricultural policy. Croatia's treaty of accession to the EU was signed when Poland chaired the Union.

Komorowski explained that his country had combined courageous economic reforms and European money for the benefit of the country and not just individual groups or people.