LJUBLJANA, Oct 20 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel saidon Thursday that arbitration of the border dispute with Croatia waspossible, but noted that all options for dialogue had not yet beenexhausted and that there was a
possibility of settling the matterduring Croatia's accession talks with the European Union.
LJUBLJANA, Oct 20 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
said on Thursday that arbitration of the border dispute with Croatia was
possible, but noted that all options for dialogue had not yet been exhausted
and that there was a possibility of settling the matter during Croatia's
accession talks with the European Union. Rupel made the statement
before the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee when asked to comment on
differing views by government officials and President Janez Drnovsek as to
whether the dispute should be settled through arbitration or a bilateral
agreement.
Drnovsek told a press conference in Ljubljana on Wednesday that
possibilities for a bilateral agreement with Croatia regarding the border issue
had been exhausted and that it was better to take the matter to arbitration or
an international court. He added that the case was a source of constant
tension between the two countries and that it should be closed.