(LUXEMBOURG) - Croatia boosted its credentials as the premier EU candidate nation Tuesday, opening two more of the 35 policy chapters which aspirants must successfully navigate, the EU's Slovenian presidency said.

Both sides were keen to play down the impact that Ireland's rejection of the EU's reforming Lisbon Treaty could have on the membership process as Croatia bids to become the 28th EU member state in the coming years.

The opening of the accession chapters on freedom of movement for workers and social policy and employment bring to 20 the number Croatia has opened since it began formal negotiations in October 2005.

By contrast Turkey, which began talks at the same time, formally opened only its seventh and eighth chapters earlier Tuesday.

"Legally there is no connection between the Lisbon Treaty and the accession of Croatia and I was surprised that I have seen some statements regarding this," said Dimitrij Rupel, foreign minister of Slovenia which holds the EU's rotating presidency.

"But I can see the pyschological or political complications," of the Irish "no" vote, he added, during a joint press conference in Luxembourg.

Croatian Foreign Minister Gordan Jandrokovic told the press conference that his country was determined to open the remaining chapters by the end of the year.

"Croatia's main objective in the forthcoming period is in opening the remaining chapters and provisionally closing as many chapters as possible by the end of 2008," he said.

That is with a view to finishing the negotiations before the end of the mandate of the current European Commission in the autumn of 2009.

Michael Leigh, the commission director general for enlargement echoed that it may be possible to open the remaining chapters by year end while insisting on the need for Croatia to respect the conditions to do so.

Commission head Jose Manuel Barroso estimated in March that it may be possible for Croatia to end its accession talks by the time his mandate expires, if it makes the right reform moves.

Asked when he thought Croatia might enter the EU, Rupel said "2009, 2010" , while stressing "I am not a fortune-teller".

General Affairs and External Relations Council (GAERC)

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