Zagreb  - Though the European Union has found itself in a "certain crisis" following Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon treaty, Croatia has full support for its membership, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said Friday in Zagreb.

"There is a solution for Croatia," Sanader said at the meeting of his cabinet, but did not elaborate further.

Croatia is next in line to join the EU, ahead of the other two formal candidates, Macedonia and Turkey.

Zagreb has already opened 20 out of the 35 "negotiating chapters" with EU.

Sanader told his ministers that he was expecting Croatia to open at least one more and possibly close two of the chapters. Zagreb hopes to conclude the talks in 2009 and join a year later.

His remarks followed French President Nicolas Sarkozy's statement that EU would not be enlarged without the reforming Lisbon treaty.

Lined up behind the three candidates, also aspiring to join EU are Bosnia, Serbia, Albania and Montenegro.

The Lisbon treaty is designed to speed up the EU's decision-making process and give it an enhanced role in the world following its expansion to accommodate 27 countries, most lately Romania and Bulgaria in 2007.

But Irish voters rejected the treaty in a June 12 referendum, blocking it from coming into force in the EU as planned. (dpa)