In his letter, which was carried by the Slovene electronic media, Rupel proposed that the start of Croatia's EU entry talks be used for the solving of the border dispute and that the matter be resolved through bilateral negotiations. These negotiations should be "constructive" and in line with "the European spirit", Rupel said in his response, stressing that the European Union shared such position.
The Slovene minister expressed concern with "emotional reactions" by some Croatian politicians after the Slovene parliament last week adopted the law on the protection of ecological and continental shelf in the Adriatic.
"A possible decision on arbitration could be based only on mutual trust and trust cannot be achieved without a consistent implementation of the agreed," Rupel said in the letter.
The Slovene minister said the letter of the Croatian minister was not in line with Croatia-Slovenia agreements and a friendly atmosphere between the two countries.