ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - Croatia has not yet set the date of a possible meeting between the Croatian and Slovene foreign ministers, Tonino Picula and Dimitrij Rupel, which would aim at the beginning of the solving of open issues
between the two countries, Croatian diplomatic sources told Hina Thursday. During a lecture held at Ljubljana's Faculty of Political Science on Wednesday, Minister Rupel said the time had come for his meeting with Croatian Foreign Minister Picula, adding it was Croatia's move now. Rupel added Slovenia preferred solving open issues in a package. In our opinion, experts should meet first and offer solutions acceptable to both parties and only then should politicians meet, the diplomatic source who wished to remain anonymous said and added that open issues should be solved step by step. The standpoint on the individual resolution of open issues was introduced last week in a Croatia
ZAGREB, Jan 18 (Hina) - Croatia has not yet set the date of a
possible meeting between the Croatian and Slovene foreign
ministers, Tonino Picula and Dimitrij Rupel, which would aim at the
beginning of the solving of open issues between the two countries,
Croatian diplomatic sources told Hina Thursday.
During a lecture held at Ljubljana's Faculty of Political Science
on Wednesday, Minister Rupel said the time had come for his meeting
with Croatian Foreign Minister Picula, adding it was Croatia's move
now. Rupel added Slovenia preferred solving open issues in a
package.
In our opinion, experts should meet first and offer solutions
acceptable to both parties and only then should politicians meet,
the diplomatic source who wished to remain anonymous said and added
that open issues should be solved step by step.
The standpoint on the individual resolution of open issues was
introduced last week in a Croatian government platform for talks
with Slovenia.
The platform was not made public because Croatia did not want
debates on open issues to be conducted in the media. Croatia wants
communication through common diplomatic channels, the same source
reported.
Croatia believes that after the establishment of two stable
coalition governments, it was time to seriously approach the
process of solving problems, however, in order to make this, the
process should be institutionalised, the same source said.
The source added that Minister Rupel presented this standpoint
during the lecture but did not forward any note regarding the issue
to the Croatian Ministry.
Relations between Croatia and Slovenia are hampered by three
important unsolved issues: the border, particularly at sea in Piran
Bay, the issue of managing the Krsko nuclear power plant and the
debt of the Ljubljanka Bank to Croatian depositors.
A Croatian parliament delegation, headed by speaker Zlatko Tomcic,
was also visiting Ljubljana on Thursday. Tomcic said the visit
aimed at encouraging the two governments to continue dialogue on
the open issues.
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