LJUBLJANA, Sept 2 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on Tuesday evening explained his government's views of relations with Croatia, reiterating that Slovenia was opposed to Croatia's plan to declare an exclusive economic
zone in the Adriatic, and that Slovenia still considered the agreement on borders initialled in 2001 to be valid.
LJUBLJANA, Sept 2 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
on Tuesday evening explained his government's views of relations
with Croatia, reiterating that Slovenia was opposed to Croatia's
plan to declare an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic, and that
Slovenia still considered the agreement on borders initialled in
2001 to be valid. #L#
Speaking on an hour-long Slovene television programme, Rupel said
that there was "a tacit agreement" in the European Union that such
zones should not be declared, that Croatia's desire to do this was
"strange", and if Croatia proclaimed such a zone, the Adriatic Sea
would remain without international waters. In that case, Slovene
ships would have to pass through the Croatian economic zone where
they could be stopped, which could result in incidents, he added.
Rupel said that Slovenia's access to the open sea was
"unquestionable" not just on the basis of the Drnovsek-Racan
agreement. Slovenia acquired this right from the former Yugoslavia
and wishes to exercise it in the future, he added.
Speaking of possible solutions in the Adriatic, Rupel said that
Slovenia would make an official proposal that all "Adriatic
countries" reach an agreement on the Adriatic Sea as "a shared
fishing zone" on the model of an agreement on cross-border traffic
and cooperation between Slovenia and Croatia.
(hina) vm sb