ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on Wednesday that in negotiations with Slovenia on the establishment of a temporary regime at sea, there would be attempts to reach agreement to significantly reduce the fishing
area as against the one stipulated by an agreement on cross-border traffic and cooperation (SOPS).
ZAGREB, Sept 18 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan said on
Wednesday that in negotiations with Slovenia on the establishment
of a temporary regime at sea, there would be attempts to reach
agreement to significantly reduce the fishing area as against the
one stipulated by an agreement on cross-border traffic and
cooperation (SOPS). #L#
Racan said this in parliament, answering the questions of Croatian
Social Liberal Party (HSLS) representatives about relations with
Slovenia.
The premier expressed hope that negotiations with Slovenia would be
successful, namely that a temporary regime would be established.
"We want to achieve a temporary regime in order to calm the
situation and avoid conflicts and also to be able to start the
process of finding a definite solution to the sea border," Racan
said and added that negotiations on a temporary regime would not
tackle the border issue.
He said the SOPS was the only document ratified by the parliaments
of both countries and its implementation should help the
establishment of a temporary regime which would regulate the
behaviour of fishermen, inspectors, police and other officials in
the border area.
PM reiterated that until the border dispute with Slovenia was
solved (by agreement or arbitration), the Croatian government
would stick to Article 15 of the UN convention, under which the
demarcation line in Piran Bay was in the middle of the bay.
He, however, said that Slovenia refuted Croatia's standpoint
claiming that the border line is somewhere else, which is why the
issue had not as yet been regulated.
At the request of Josko Kontic of the HSLS to comment on whether it
was true that the Croatia-Slovenia exchange was on a descending
line, Racan answered in the positive. He said that due to the
current situation, economic relations with Slovenia were neglected
and expressed dissatisfaction on behalf of the government.
"Fortunately, this is not the case with the overall exchange of
goods and services, because Croatia is after all a tourist country
and tourism compensates for losses in trade exchange," Racan said.
Dissatisfied with the reply, Kontic presented data showing that
Croatia's deficit last year amounted to US$286 million and that it
could amount to US$400 million this year. He demanded of Racan to
comment on this, as he said, devastating data.
Racan said he did not have concrete data with him, which was why he
was not able to give a more detailed answer. He offered to respond
later in writing, but Kontic turned the offer down.
Jadranka Katarincic Skrlj, also of the HSLS, demanded of the prime
minister to, after tomorrow's session of the government which will
discuss relations with Slovenia and a temporary regime in Piran
Bay, inform the public of the agreement in detail.
(hina) it sb