ZAGREB, Aug 19 (Hina) - Croatia and Slovenia should address their outstanding issues "through dialogue in the spirit of our good neighbourly relations" rather than communicate through protest notes, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said
in a note to the Slovene Embassy in Zagreb on Tuesday in connection with Croatia's intention to proclaim an economic zone in the Adriatic Sea.
ZAGREB, Aug 19 (Hina) - Croatia and Slovenia should address their
outstanding issues "through dialogue in the spirit of our good
neighbourly relations" rather than communicate through protest
notes, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a note to the Slovene
Embassy in Zagreb on Tuesday in connection with Croatia's intention
to proclaim an economic zone in the Adriatic Sea. #L#
The note came as a response to the Slovenian note of August 11 in
which Slovenia expressed its position in the event that Croatia
proclaims an exclusive economic zone in its part of the Adriatic.
In today's note, Croatia recalled that the issue was discussed in
Ljubljana on May 13, 2003, and that Zagreb was still awaiting a
response to its proposal that representatives of the two countries
meet between September 15 and 19.
The Croatian government working group in charge of monitoring the
reform of the EU joint fishing policy is preparing modalities of
expanding national jurisdiction over the Croatian part of the
Adriatic in order to protect all its natural and economic interests
in accordance with international law and Croatian national
interests. Croatian diplomats are in consultations with the
European Commission and neighbouring countries, including
Slovenia, to implement this in the spirit of good neighbourly and
regional cooperation and in accordance with the European Union
policy, the ministry said.
Proclamation of an exclusive economic zone is the sovereign right
of Croatia as a country bordering on the open sea under the 1982
Convention of International Maritime Law, and Croatia's readiness
for prior consultations with Slovenia reflects its desire for the
best possible relations and mutual understanding, the ministry
said.
In this context, the claim by the Slovene Foreign Ministry that it
has not yet been informed by the Croatian Foreign Ministry of its
position is unfounded. Although it is not bound by any legal
obligation, Croatia has shown good will for dialogue with Slovenia,
the foreign ministry said.
Ivan Simonovic, Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister and head of the
government working group in charge of monitoring the EU fisheries
policy, met Slovene Undersecretary of State Iztok Morosic in
Ljubljana on May 13 for talks on issues relating to the joint
fishing policy and the expansion of Croatian jurisdiction in the
Adriatic.
It was proposed that talks on these issues resume in mid-August, but
were postponed until September because Slovenia had other pressing
engagements.
On August 6, Croatia suggested to the Slovene Ambassador to
Croatia, Peter Bekes, that representatives of the two countries
meet between September 15 and 19. Croatia has received no response
to date, the ministry said.
The ministry believes that "the view expressed in the Slovene note
that Slovenia has territorial contact with the open sea is
factually and legally unfounded," and therefore it "does not accept
the protest expressed in the note."
When presenting the note to the Slovene Embassy in Zagreb, Croatia
also requested the position of the Slovene authorities on the
latest statements by Slovene far-right leader Zmago Jelincic in
connection with the economic zone.
(hina) vm