Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor on June 2, at the beginning of the government session, wished a welcome to Pope Benedict XVI, whose weekend arrival in Croatia is gaining an increasingly political dimension.

"We welcome you, Your Holiness," the prime minister said, adding that she believed the visit of Pope Benedict XVI on June 4 and 5 will encourage Croatia to be a society of peace, tolerance and prosperity.

She said this would be a visit by a trusted friend of Croatia and the Croatian people, reiterating the Vatican's crucial role in the recognition of Croatia's independence 20 years ago. The prime minister said this was a visit that supported the finalization of the country's accession talks with the EU.

Besides the religious aspect, the visit of Benedict XVI to Croatia also has a political dimension, especially after the publicized information that the opposition leader and leader of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Zoran Milanovic would not meet the pope. Milanovic later denied this information.