WARSAW, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Poland supports Croatia's joining the EU in 2009, Polish President Lech Kaczynski told a press conference in Zagreb on Thursday after a meeting with his Croatian counterpart Stipe Mesic.

    Poland is interested in further EU enlargement so it is ready to support the first possible date, that is 2009, President Kaczynski said, quoted by Polish news agency PAP.

    The president supported Croatia membership of NATO. Poland would like Zagreb to be invited to the alliance at its summit in Bucharest in April.

    The President stressed he hoped for longer talks with the Croatian authorities during the official visit to be paid soon at the invitation of President Mesic.

    Mesic conveyed to Kaczynski condolences in connection with the tragic crash of a Polish military plane Wednesday evening that killed 20 people.

    In connection with the crash, the program of President Kaczynski's visit to Croatia was changed. He cut short his trip to return to Poland on Thursday to go to the plane crash site.