Croatia Vows To Become 28th EU Member By 2010

D.C. Morales - AHN News Writer

Brussels, Belgium (AHN)-Croatia is determined to join the European Union by 2010, the country's foreign minister said Tuesday.

Gordan Jandrokovic said Croatia is working to become the 28th member of the EU. The minister said that by the end of June Zagreb expects to open up seven of the 35 policy areas, or chapters, that candidates must complete to join.

The Balkan state's accession to the European bloc has been picking up pace recently and Jandrokovic reiterated to EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn that Croatia was ready to do "whatever it takes" to attain membership in two years, according to Thomson Financial News.

Croatia's membership discussion started in 2005.

Rehn agreed that "there is a renewed dynamism in the EU accession process of Croatia," but Zagreb still had "plenty of work ahead, particularly on judicial and public administration reform and in the fight against corruption."