"I regret Croatia didn't join the EU during my term, because I've beenvery much involved in it, and its entry would've brought greater prosperity tothe country and its people," he said.

Mesic said it was important that other countries in the region should alsojoin the EU so that there would be no more ambitions for changing the borders.

"With their entry into the EU, it will make no difference to a Croat, aSerb or an Albanian on which side of the border he lives," Mesic said,stressing that the "17th and 18th century ideas" should be abandoned.

Mesic said he was pleased that during his terms in office Croatia hademerged from isolation and become open to the region, Europe and the world."We have democratised and Europeanised the country, implemented most ofthe reforms and depoliticised the military, the police and the judiciary."

Mesic said it was not hard for him to leave the present office, adding thathe put maximum effort in whatever work he was involved. He added that he wouldmost probably take with him to his new office one of his foreign policyadvisers because he expected a lot of work in maintaining contacts with formerheads of state and with foreign institutions.

Mesic said that President-elect Ivo Josipovic did not specify during hisvisit on Friday whether any of Mesic's advisers and aides would stay in theoffice. Mesic expects they will.

Mesic was asked to comment on the statement by the Chief Public Prosecutor'sOffice that the Defence Ministry had allocated the apartment to Prime MinisterJadranka Kosor in accordance with the law, in view of the fact that he claimedotherwise in 2007. Mesic replied that he accepted the finding of a stateinstitution as legitimate.

Over the last ten years, Mesic has received about 15,000 people as part ofhis traditional meetings with members of the public, known as "A Coffeewith the President".