"The announced meeting of the Slovenian and Croatian prime minister can only be a good sign," Josipovic told the press, adding that he was confident the Slovenian Parliament would be able to ratify Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the EU on time.

Who will be Slovenia's negotiator is up to them, and the person appointed by Slovenia will be accepted by Croatia with respect, Josipovic said commenting on the replacement of the Slovenian negotiator in charge of the Ljubljanska Banka issue, Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec.

The Croatian president also commented on the elections for the European Parliament, reiterating those polls were very important for Croatia.

"Apart from the fact that we will get our own MEPs, they also have a symbolic value as these will be our first European elections. This is why I want them to be held in a democratic atmosphere .. and that as many citizens as possible got to the polls," the president said.

"Under the law, the exact date of the elections is set by President of the Republic. I will do that, bearing in mind the position of the government and all political parties and I will consult the State Election Commission on whether it is technically possible to combine local and European elections," Josipovic said adding that he will also hear NGOs opinion about this.

Asked about his assessment of the past three years in office, the president said it was up to others to assess his work.