Germany has shown that no matter what party is in power, there are no changes in the foreign policy in general and it is especially important that there are changes towards Croatia either, said Sanader, adding that the same could be said for the Croatian government.
ZAGREB, April 24 (Hina) - Regardless of which party is in power in Germany or in Croatia, the two countries have excellent bilateral relations strengthened by cooperation in tourism, investment and the Croats working in Germany, Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and former German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder agreed on Tuesday.
Schroeder was visiting Zagreb where President Stjepan Mesic decorated him for his contribution to the promotion of bilateral relations and support to Croatia in its Euro-Atlantic integration.
Germany has shown that no matter what party is in power, there are no changes in the foreign policy in general and it is especially important that there are changes towards Croatia either, said Sanader, adding that the same could be said for the Croatian government.
Schroeder said the reason for the excellent relations was that both governments were interested in developing such relations.
A bridge of cooperation are 1.5 million German tourists vacationing in Croatia and the hundreds of thousands of Croats who have been working in Germany for decades, as well as the German investors who have recognised Croatia's economic potential.
Earlier today, Schroeder met Social Democratic Party (SDP) acting president Zeljka Antunovic. She said the former chancellor was optimistic about the SDP's victory at elections later this year.
Asked by the press to comment on Schroeder's support to the SDP, Sanader said that just like he would root for the CDU in Germany, so Schroeder was rooting for the SDP in Croatia.
There is a party level and a statesman level and in Europe both are respected, said Sanader, revealing that Schroeder, a Social Democrat, had been the first to invite him to Germany after his Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) won the 2003 elections.
Schroeder said that although he was no longer in active service he could still help Croatia.
Croatia does not have to hide behind anyone in the region but must feel proud of everything it has achieved so far, he said, voicing confidence that Croatia would join the EU and NATO soon. He assessed Zagreb's goal to complete EU entry negotiations by the end of 2008 as ambitious but feasible.
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