Bush pushes Croatia to join NATO in 2008

WASHINGTON, Oct. 18 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush says he will suggest at November's NATO summit that Croatia be invited to join the alliance.

Bush told Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader at the White House he supports Croatia's admission to NATO and the European Union because it is in the interest of the world, the Serbian news agency Beta reported Wednesday.

Bush said he considers both Sanader and Croatia his friends.

"The only question about which we could not fully agree is who has a more beautiful coast, the United States or Croatia," Sanader told reporters, adding he has invited Bush to visit Croatia.

U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney visited Croatia in May.