Brussels, 08/04/2008 (Agence Europe) - Following a meeting with the Croatian foreign minister, Gordan Jandrokovic, on Tuesday 8 April in Brussels, Commissioner Olli Rehn announced that in October the Commission would present a roadmap for concluding technical accession negotiations with Croatia in 2009 (before the end of the Barroso Commission mandate on 31 October 2009). To this end it is indispensable that Croatia fulfils the opening benchmarks by next June for all the chapters pending, explained Mr Rehn. Minister Jandrokovic said that his government would respect this June 2008 deadline. The minister explained that Croatia aimed to join the EU in 2010. During the next negotiations meeting planned for 21 April, Zagreb will open two new chapters (energy and transport); “four to five” are expected to follow at the June ministerial, explained Jandrokovic. Rehn shares Croatia's optimism and said that he did not see why chapters like fishing or external relations still had to be blocked (reference to recent dispute (resolved in meantime) on extension of fishing and ecological protection zone in the Adriatic. So far, Croatia has opened 16 of the 35 chapters, including two that have already been provisionally closed. (H.B.)