"Slovenia does not request or expect the EU to change its policy towards Croatia, but Croatia can no longer expect our unconditional support on its way to the EU," Slovenia's Ambassador to the EU, Ciril Stokelj, told the Slovene STA press agency summarising his speech at the meeting.
Stokelj said the meeting did not discuss the issue, and the Dutch EU Presidency took note of the Slovene report.
Slovene Foreign Minister Ivo Vajgl will address the issue at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg on October 11, Stokelj said.
The Slovene government has suggested signing an agreement with Croatia to prevent similar incidents from happening and make it possible for the remaining outstanding issues to be resolved through dialogue, the ambassador said.
He added that the "brutal and inappropriate manner" in which the Slovene group was detained as well as the conduct of the Croatian police "is not the kind of behaviour which an EU candidate can afford".
"The use of force cannot replace dialogue. As a future EU member and country wishing to set an example to other Balkan states, Croatia must be aware of that and respect the basic European principles," Stokelj concluded.