Zagreb - The European Union's top official for enlargement urged Croatia on Wednesday to fight organized crime and corruption in order to finish talks on joining the EU by the end of 2009. "The European Commission believes that Croatia can finish all talks by the end of 2009 if all the conditions are fulfilled," Olli Rehn told journalists in Zagreb after talks with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader.
Zagreb's "first and foremost priority" needs to be fighting crime and corruption, Rehn said. He urged Croatian authorities to arrest those responsible for high-profile murders in Zagreb.
"Recent killings pointed out how necessary it is to reach concrete results," Croatia's Hina news agency quoted him as saying.
In recent weeks, journalist Ivo Pukanic was killed in a bomb attack and the 28-year-old daughter of a prominent criminal lawyer was shot and killed.
The killings caused nationwide protests against organized crime and the police, raising questions about Croatia's path into the EU.
Brussels however said last week that Zagreb should be able to finish all talks on joining the EU by the end of 2009.
Sanader pledged on Wednesday that Croatia would make every effort to conclude talks with the EU on time.
"The year 2009 could be a great year for Croatia. We will become members of NATO and conclude talks with EU," he said after meeting Rehn. "We will do everything we can to achieve that."
The EU has also warned that the timetable will be fulfilled only if Croatia continues to reform its laws, especially in fighting organized crime and in the area of state aid to shipyards.
Sanader pledged that Croatia will continue privatization of its shipyards.
"There is a chance that we will soon reach an agreement on restructuring of the shipyards so that we become competitive," Sanader said. "Having a healthy shipyards sector that is competitive in the EU is an European goal."
