"...In particular he singled out the hopes of Croatia and Turkey.
The ex-Yugoslav state was due to have started EU membership talks in March, but they were delayed due to its lack of full cooperation with UN prosecutors hunting a key war crimes suspect.
And Turkey is preparing to start EU entry talks in October, as promised by EU leaders last December. But questions have been raised because opposition to Turkey's EU membership was a factor which fuelled the French and Dutch rejection of Europe's constitution.
But Blair said: 'In our presidency, we will try to ... carry out the Union's obligations to those like Turkey and Croatia that wait in hope of a future as part of Europe...' "
More:UK's Blair says he will never accept EU as 'simply economic market' UPDATE - Forbes.com