ZAGREB, Sept 8 (Hina) - Parliament will debate expansion of Croatia's jurisdiction in the Adriatic in October, the chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Zdravko Tomac, and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said after a
closed committee session on Monday.
ZAGREB, Sept 8 (Hina) - Parliament will debate expansion of
Croatia's jurisdiction in the Adriatic in October, the chairman of
the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, Zdravko Tomac, and
Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said after a closed committee
session on Monday. #L#
Tomac told reporters an important part in the debate would be played
by a European Commission conference in Brussels on Sept. 22-24,
which should define Europe's new common fishing policy to be
adopted in Venice later this year.
At today's parliamentary committee session, Picula outlined the
government's political actions this year, which he said proved that
Croatian diplomacy had taken an active part in the European Union's
bids to create a common fishing policy.
Talking to reporters, Picula said Croatia had tried from the start
to contact everyone interested in the matter, announcing at an EC
conference in Athens in June that it intended to expand its
jurisdiction in the Adriatic. He recalled the announcement did not
elicit any particular reactions, especially not political
controversy.
"In the past ten days, however, we have been witness to a fierce and
inappropriate reaction from official Ljubljana. Croatia's
diplomacy will try to eliminate all state-of-emergency elements in
Zagreb-Ljubljana relations and try to restore discussion to a
normal diplomatic framework."
Tomac concurred, stressing the government would enjoy the full
support of parliament's foreign affairs committee in "normalising
relations with Slovenia".
Picula said he took special exception to Ljubljana's claims that
Croatia was bringing regional stability into question by making
unilateral moves.
"That simply isn't true. By implementing a consistent good
neighbourly policy, Croatia has in recent years contributed to
stability in Southeast Europe, gaining international praise."
Picula also blasted Slovenia's "arbitrary" claims that Croatia had
agreed on the proclamation of an economic zone in the Adriatic
together with Italy, at Slovenia's expense. "We haven't agreed on
anything with Italy, certainly not at the expense of a third
party".
The minister said Belgrade, Podgorica, Sarajevo, Tirana as well as
all EU capitals and Brussels had been notified about Croatia's
plans regarding the economic zone.
Tomac told reporters Croatia's politicians were agreed that issues
such as the economic zone, fishing and ecology in the Adriatic were
separate from the unresolved sea border issue between Croatia and
Slovenia.
"Everybody realises that neither Croatia nor Slovenia will budge
when it comes to their positions on the sea border," he said, adding
that for Croatia the deal the two countries' prime ministers
initialled on the border did not exist. "We shall launch an
initiative to resolve this issue through international
arbitration."
(hina) ha