ZAGREB, July 24 (Hina) - Parliament's foreign affairs committee did not vote on the draft of a Croatia-Slovenia border agreement at last week's closed-door session and it is incorrect that the agreement was backed only by the
committee's members from the ruling Social Democrats (SDP), as the media have reported, chairman Zdravko Tomac said on Tuesday. Three conclusions were adopted at the end of the session by consensus, he said. The first refers to the adoption of Prime Minister Ivica Racan's address, on which occasion the committee established that reaching an agreement with Slovenia was of Croatian national interest. In the other conclusion the Committee supported the government's efforts for the resumption of negotiations on, at the time, still open issues, in view of expediting the initialling of an agreement on the jointly-owned Krsko nuclear power plant, borders, and Ljubljanska Bank
ZAGREB, July 24 (Hina) - Parliament's foreign affairs committee did
not vote on the draft of a Croatia-Slovenia border agreement at last
week's closed-door session and it is incorrect that the agreement
was backed only by the committee's members from the ruling Social
Democrats (SDP), as the media have reported, chairman Zdravko Tomac
said on Tuesday.
Three conclusions were adopted at the end of the session by
consensus, he said. The first refers to the adoption of Prime
Minister Ivica Racan's address, on which occasion the committee
established that reaching an agreement with Slovenia was of
Croatian national interest.
In the other conclusion the Committee supported the government's
efforts for the resumption of negotiations on, at the time, still
open issues, in view of expediting the initialling of an agreement
on the jointly-owned Krsko nuclear power plant, borders, and
Ljubljanska Banka's debt to Croatian depositors.
Lastly, the Committee concluded the contentious issues outlined at
Wednesday's session should not be subjected to public debate before
insight was gained into all the necessary documents and maps.
A border agreement was initialled on Friday. The Foreign Affairs
Committee will reconvene for its members to vote after being given
all the necessary agreements, maps and explanations, said Tomac.
To sign the border agreement the government does not require the
Committee's consent which, however, would be a sort of test among
MPs given that the agreement needs to be ratified by parliament and
a two-third majority vote to be adopted.
Tomac said Slovenia's MPs had debated the agreement in detail on
several occasions and that all, both the public and the
parliamentary parties, were willing to pass decisions.
The situation in Croatia is different. Relations with Slovenia have
not been the centre of political attention. The foreign affairs
committee dedicated several recent sessions to relations with the
UN war-crimes tribunal at The Hague and with Bosnia-Herzegovina,
said Tomac.
He announced an expanded committee session for the last week in
August, with the presidents of all parliamentary parties and
benches. In the meantime the government will hold a series of
discussions, particularly with prefects of counties bordering on
Slovenia and with parliamentary parties.
Tomac called on all participating in the whole process to refrain
from hasty conclusions for and against the agreement.
On behalf of the foreign affairs committee, Tomac applauded the
Slovene parliament's ratification of an agreement on local border
traffic and the regulation of relations on the land border which was
signed in 1997 by then Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and
Slovene counterpart Zoran Thaler.
The committee ascribes great importance to the border agreement
with Slovenia as it opens the road to Europe by avoiding the tough
Schengen border, Tomac said. He added the agreement opened many
possibilities for cooperation as well.
He described deciding on the agreement as having great importance
for Croatia and that those in charge of the outcome of all the
debates that had been announced had a big responsibility before
them.
Tomac envisages two outcomes, either making the best decision or
contributing to an unnecessary political conflict based on the
peddling of Croathood and betrayed national interests.
(hina) ha sb