The entire Europe is looking forward to Croatia's entering the European Union, which would set an example for the region and bring hope to all Croatian neighbours, and Hungary is confident that Croatia's EU entry talks would be formally wrapped up during Hungary's EU presidency in the first half of 2011, Hungarian President Pal Schmitt said in Zagreb on Friday.
Schmitt addressed reporters after talks with Croatian President Ivo Josipovic.
Our hopes are raised by what Croatia has done on its five-year path of joining the EU. I have also expressed hope that the negotiations could be formally completed during Hungary's EU presidency, at two large summits in March and June, said Schmitt who is on a two-day official visit to Zagreb.
Thanking Schmitt for Hungary's support for Croatia's aspirations to join the EU and calling him "a great friend of Croatia", Josipovic said the two countries "have the best neighbourly relations".
Josipovic said he was aware that Croatia must meet the conditions for joining the bloc, such as reforming its judiciary and public administration system, fighting corruption, cooperating with international judicial bodies and implementing structural economic reform. However, he expressed conviction that Croatia would close all its negotiating chapters on time.
Josipovic said he was impressed by Hungary's ambitious plans for its coming EU presidency, adding that the plan included many issues of vital interest to Croatia.
Speaking of the fight against corruption, the Croatian president said "the most important thing was that politics will not and must not influence the judiciary".
The two heads of state also talked about national minorities, cultural diversity, regional cooperation and development issues.
Josipovic said they shared a position on development plans, not only of Croatia and Hungary, but the entire European Union as well.
He thanked the Hungarian president for visiting Croatia and once again confirming the excellent bilateral relations.
