ZAGREB, CROATIA - - This is a historic moment because Croatia is arriving at the summit as a member of NATO. We waited very long for this moment and we implemented all the necessary reforms. We got an army which is depoliticised and profesionalised – Croatia’s President Stjepan Mesic said before leaving for the NATO Summit in Strasbourg. 

He voiced satisfaction with the fact that he would be present at that historic moment.

- NATO is not an army, it is also a political alliance which gathers countries that protect certain democratic values, freedom, democracy, tolerance and equality among countries – he said.

Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that during the cold war, NATO had quite a different role than it has today, defending the values of Western countries. Today, it defends the same values of Western countries, freedom, peace and democracy.

One country cannot destroy the principles of the entire European Union 

Sanader stressed that the Croatian government has achieved half of its foreign policy goals and voiced his conviction that it would achieve its second goal without any territorial concessions, by implementing the state policy hitherto and promoting the values of the West.

- The big peace project which brought 60 years of peace to Europe, aside what went on in our region, cannot be jeopardised by one country destroying its principles. The President and myself, as well as an entire delegation, are going off to Strasbourg aware of the fact that we realised 50 percent of our integrations defending those principles with which we entered NATO – Sanader said.

Sanader and Mesic commented also on bilateral issues between Croatia and Slovenia and Croatia’s accession into the European Union, saying there is no way Croatia would access the EU in the same package with Macedonia and Serbia because Croatia is much more advanced.

Sanader reiterated that Croatia as a member would never block anybody from entering the EU, but would try to help.