In a statement released after its session on Friday, the Croatian government said it had been closely following political developments relating to Croatia ahead of parliamentary elections in Slovenia.
"Considering traditionally good relations between the two countries and their people, and their joint interest in resolving the remaining outstanding issues in accordance with international law and the values of the European Union, the Croatian government finds unacceptable statements claiming Slovene jurisdiction and sovereignty over the entire Bay of Piran, i.e. the Bay of Savudrija.
"In this regard, the Croatian government rejects the latest statements by the Foreign Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr Ivo Vajgl.
"The Croatian government calls on the Slovene side to exercise political restraint and to continue dialogue with a view to resolving the outstanding issues through international arbitration. The Republic of Croatia on its part has not given and will not give any cause for the escalation of tension and postponement of negotiations on all issues of common interest," the statement said.
Vajgl appeared in an election duel with former foreign minister Dimitrij Rupel on the Slovene commercial television network POP-TV on Thursday, saying that the entire Bay of Piran belonged to Slovenia.
Asked by the TV host to comment on his fishing trip last Saturday, when he and Prime Minister Anton Rop joined Slovene fishermen along the middle line of the bay "to catch sharks", Vajgl said: "We wanted to show that it was our sea and that our state was behind the fishermen, and to show our solidarity."
Asked if he had a message for the fishermen and to say by which position in the bay they could fish without being approached by the Croatian police, Vajgl first said that the aim of the question was to shift the responsibility for what was going in the bay on to him, but then resolutely added: "The entire Bay of Piran belongs to Slovenia. Our fishermen have the right to fish in the entire Bay of Piran and our state stands behind them."
Slovene parliamentary elections are scheduled to take place on October 3. Vajgl will run on the list of the Liberal Democratic Party of incumbent Prime Minister Anton Rop.