BRIJUNI, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has expressed regret at a move of Slovenia, which has recalled its ambassador from Zagreb for consultations in Ljubljana.
BRIJUNI, Sept 1 (Hina) - Croatian President Stjepan Mesic has
expressed regret at a move of Slovenia, which has recalled its
ambassador from Zagreb for consultations in Ljubljana. #L#
"I am sincerely sad that this has happened, but Slovenia and its
foreign ministry have the right to do so. I hope, however, that
there will not be any graver consequences," Mesic said on Monday
evening in Brijuni where he was taking part in a session of the
parliament's national security and internal affairs committee.
The Croatian head of state told reporters that every open issue
should be settled in a tolerant atmosphere.
Commenting on a statement of Jelko Kacin, the head of the Slovene
parliament's foreign ministry foreign affairs, who said that
"statements given by (Croatian foreign) minister Tonino Picula
were contrary to statement given by the Croatian and Slovene
presidents", Mesic said that what Picula asserted was only that an
initialled agreement produced no legal effects.
"Slovenia is obviously staring from the position that this
initialled agreement on state border enables it to have access to
the open sea. However, should Albania, Serbia-Montenegro and Italy
proclaim an economic zone, Croatia also would not have access to the
open sea. All of us who are connected with the Adriatic Sea have to
discuss this matter," he said.
Responding to Slovene officials' statements that following the
latest row with Croatia, Ljubljana was going to reconsider its
support to Zagreb's bids to come closer to the European Union and
NATO, Mesic said it suited Slovenia to see Croatia speeding up its
entry into the EU and NATO, and added that "one should not dramatise
the matter".
(hina) ms sb