Stockholm - Visiting Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader Tuesday said Zagreb was still pushing to join the European Union by the end of 2009. "Our ambition is to finish the negotiations during the Swedish (EU) presidency," Sanader told a joint news conference with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt.
Sanader said his government was aware of "challenges" listed by the European Commission in a recent progress report adding that the report served as a roadmap of what needed to be done in the coming months.
In addition to tackling organized crime and corruption, Croatia needed to reform the judiciary as well as end state aid to its shipyards, according to the EU.
Sanader said Zagreb was "very determined to join the EU," and was for instance preparing international tenders for all six shipyards and keeping the European Commission and trade unions informed about the process.
Reinfeldt said Sweden was a supporter of EU enlargement, and the process could serve as "a driving force for reform" as it had in Croatia's case.
Accession, however, hinged on delivering the required measures, the Swedish premier said.
Sweden holds the six-month rotating EU presidency from July to December 2009.
