Bilateral problems of two countries should not be a barrier on the path towards the European Union if one of them is an EU aspirant, Austrian President Heinz Fischer said on Monday afternoon after his meeting with his Croatian counterpart Ivo Josipovic.
"I do not hesitate to say that it is our position that the EU membership bid and bilateral problems with an EU member state must not be connected," the Austrian head of state said stressing that these are two matters which should not be linked.
Before starting the process of the ratification of the Croatia-EU accession treaty, Slovenia demands that Croatia withdraw its power of attorney which enables two banks -- ZABA and PBZ -- to sue the now defunct Ljubljanska Banka and its successor Nova Ljubljanska Banka before Croatian courts.
Fischer welcomed Croatia's forthcoming accession to the European bloc adding that he hopes and wants that "based on all reports issued so far by the European Commission, this accession will be a success".
Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, who on Monday arrived in Vienna for a two-day working visit to Austria, said that "Croatia enjoys Austria's full support to its European Union membership bid, and we are together looking forward to 1 July next year (the set date for Croatia's EU entry)."
Josipovic described his meeting with his Austrian counterpart as the continuation of "a stable and fruitful cooperation" between the two countries.
"This is our third or fourth meeting lately," the Croatian president added.
The two statesmen discussed the situation in Croatia and Austria, with focus on the fight against corruption, unemployment and investment incentives.
"Being a developing country, Croatia is still adjusting its economy to the EU norms," Josipovic said. He acquainted his interlocutor with amendments to the Investment Stimulation Act. Austria is the top investor in Croatia.
On Tuesday, Josipovic will visit seven municipalities in Burgenland to meet ethnic Croats.
"I am visiting Burgenland Croats tomorrow. This is very important for the unity of the Croatian people and also for our good neighbourly relations with Austria," he added.
Later on Monday, Josipovic is due to give a lecture on politics and art at the University of Music and Performing Arts in the Austrian capital. He will also attend a concert of the Zagreb Music Academy's string orchestra, that will mark the beginning of the 8th annual festival of Croatian music in Vienna.
