MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA, Sept 6 (Hina) - Slovenia should start helping Croatia as soon as possible to join the European Union instead of blaming Croatian nationalism for the large number of open questions between the two countries, Dr.
Nicole Lindstrom, a US expert on the Balkans at the Central European University in Budapest has said in an interview with Maribor's "Vecer" daily.
MARIBOR/LJUBLJANA, Sept 6 (Hina) - Slovenia should start helping
Croatia as soon as possible to join the European Union instead of
blaming Croatian nationalism for the large number of open questions
between the two countries, Dr. Nicole Lindstrom, a US expert on the
Balkans at the Central European University in Budapest has said in
an interview with Maribor's "Vecer" daily. #L#
Lindstrom believes that the EU expects Slovenia to settle open
issues with Croatia and that Slovene politicians have cornered
themselves with their rhetoric of Croatian nationalism.
The US scientist is on a study visit to Maribor and Ljubljana.
Senior European politicians, says Lindstrom, have made it clear to
Slovenia that Croatia is now its backyard where it can develop its
European foreign policy.
The policy of seeking open borders for products, but closing them to
people is a double standard, which Slovene politicians have
rightfully warned about in negotiations on admission to the EU,
however, they should keep the same position in relations with
countries of South-East Europe as well, says Lindstrom.
Asked to compare Slovene and Croatian nationalism, Lindstrom has
said that people in Croatia are obsessed with how others view them,
with Euroscepticism finding its supporters in the right. In
Slovenia, Eurosceptics are supporters of the left and the Slovenes'
self-confidence is not diminished by how other nations view them.
Simply put, in Croatian-Slovene relations Slovenes have a
superiority complex while Croats have an inferiority complex,
Lindstrom says.
(hina) rml