"Our position regarding Croatia remains unchanged. The entry of Croatia and other Southeast European countries into the European Union is in our strategic interest," Rupel said on state television on Saturday.
He said Slovenia wanted to assure Europe of the usefulness of the Slovene-Croatian border area cooperation agreement, which he added provided for "softening" the border which in two years was expected to enforce the Schengen type of control of the EU's outer borders.
Rupel said that contrary to some public opinion polls, which indicate disappointment with the first year of EU membership, Slovenia's identity had been strengthened, while tourism and foreign investment had gone up since the country joined the Union on May 1, 2004.
Slovenia is due to chair the EU in the first half of 2008.