Asked about the two neighbours' relations, Rupel also said there was an agreement that areas in which cooperation was not good should not affect those in which it was.
He confirmed that preparations were under way for an informal meeting between the prime ministers, Slovenia's Janez Jansa and Croatia's Ivo Sanader, as the latter recently announced to the Slovene press during a visit to Brussels.
Asked to comment on Stjepan Mesic's recent re-election as Croatian president, Rupel said he had congratulated Mesic and that he had known him for a long time, including when efforts were being made to initial a border agreement.
Rupel said that Croatia had wanted to secure the national interest to border Italy with that agreement, but that now it was in a better position because Slovenia was its border
with the European Union and NATO.
Rupel said that numerous issues with Croatia could be settled within the EU, including the fisheries regime in the Adriatic. He added that Slovenia had relatively few problems with Croatia and that Croatia needed Slovenia more than the other way round.
He reiterated that Slovenia wanted Croatia to join it in the EU as soon as possible.
He said he talked to Croatia's resigning Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul yesterday, adding the resignation had slowed down the establishment of closer ties between Croatia and Slovenia's new government.