I would like to convey a message of hope to Croatian citizens that the EU's door is open to Croatia, Moratinos said at a joint press conference with Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic following talks with Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor.

Moratinos had arrived from Sarajevo where in his capacity as the foreign minister of the country holding the EU presidency he had attended a conference which he said paved the way for a good future of the entire Western Balkans region.

Moratinos said that Spain would do its best to achieve the goals it had defined at the start of its presidential term and to ensure that Croatia opened the remaining policy chapters so that the process of accession negotiations could be completed by the end of this year or at the start of the next.

He said he was pleased with his talks with Kosor, adding that she had demonstrated a great determination to resolve the remaining outstanding issues, including privatising the shipyards and meeting the necessary requirements to open negotiations on Chapter 23, which deals with judiciary and fundamental rights.

Moratinos expressed hope that Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whom Kosor had invited to visit Croatia, would manage to come as soon as Spain concluded its term as EU president at the end of this month.

When asked by reporters for a comment on ideas from some circles that all the countries of southeastern Europe should be admitted to the EU together between 2014 and 2018 and whether Croatia should be afraid of such ideas, Moratinos replied that Croatia was the leader in the enlargement process in the region.

You should not be waiting for anyone because you have done a lot, you have met all the requirements and are now in the final stage of the negotiation process, Moratinos said.

I think you will open the way for the others. It is very important that Croatia should enter the EU as soon as possible, because under the Lisbon treaty that would mean that the rest of the Western Balkans can do the same in the future, depending on their achievements, he added.

Jandrokovic said that Moratinos was a great friend of Croatia, an honorary citizen of Trogir, and that he had always strongly supported the admission of Croatia, first to NATO and now to the EU. He described Moratinos's visit as an act of friendship and great support to Croatia.

Jandrokovic congratulated his Spanish counterpart on organising the conference in Sarajevo, which he said sent out "a message of encouragement to all countries in southeastern Europe that they deserve the prospect of EU membership if they meet the necessary criteria."

Jandrokovic said that Croatia and Spain shared the views on southeastern Europe because they wanted stability in the region, the Euro-Atlantic integration of all its countries, and peace and prosperity in this part of the world.