Washington, OCT 4, SPA -- President George W. Bush will meet in Washington with visiting Prime Minister Ivo Sanader of Croatia next month for talks on bilateral, regional, and European issues, the White House announced Thursday. The October 17 meeting will provide an opportunity for the president and the prime minister to further strengthen the partnership between the United States and Croatia, the White House said in a statement. Bush looks forward to discussing cooperation in the war on terror and stability in Southeast Europe with Prime Minister Sanader, as well as U.S. support for Croatia s NATO and European Union (EU) aspirations, the White House wrote. Croatia began EU membership talks a year ago and hopes to join the 25-nation bloc by the end of the decade. The former Yugoslav republic also hopes to join NATO by 2008.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/394061