The statement followed an open letter sent by Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel earlier in the day, who said that by signing the joint declaration the two countries decided that until a final solution to the border issue was found they would respect the situation as it had been on 25 June 1991, when "the Republic of Slovenia, among other things, exercised jurisdiction over the entire Bay of Piran and had territorial access to the open sea."
The ministry said that it had informed relevant Croatian government institutions and local government units in the border area about the text of the joint declaration, and had put forward a proposal to Slovenia for a joint meeting with representatives of local communities and fishermen as well as a joint meeting of the Subcommission for Fisheries, which operates within the Permanent Joint Commission for the Implementation of the Agreement on Border Traffic and Cooperation.
The ministries of foreign affairs of the two countries have each appointed two representatives to maintain positive communication in implementing the joint declaration, the statement said.
"The Republic of Croatia believes that the life of people living along the border should be facilitated as much as possible and that any incidents should be avoided. In this regard the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Croatia finds unacceptable the unilateral interpretations in legal and territorial terms of the provisions of the Joint Declaration on the Avoidance of Incidents, particularly those citing Slovene jurisdiction over the entire Bay of Savudrija and access to the open sea since 1991. All the more so because the provisions of the Joint Declaration clearly say that it will not prejudge a final settlement of the border issue between the two countries," the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration said in the statement.
The ministry also highlighted the need for the two countries to sign a treaty on road border crossings in order to fully regulate this issue.
The statement concluded by saying that Croatia would continue implementing the joint declaration on the avoidance of incidents.