ZAGREB, Mar 26 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives on Friday passed with a majority of vote the Declaration on the State of Inter-State Relations Between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia.
The Declaration, motioned by the bench of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union, supports Croatian government efforts to seek through negotiations with the Slovene government mutually acceptable solutions to all open issues in such a way which will enable both countries to join European and Euro-Atlantic integration. With the Declaration, the Lower House supported a government report on the state of relations with neighbouring Slovenia. According to the Declaration and based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, representatives of Croatia must advocate to have the sea border in Piran Bay determined according to the criterion of equidistance i
ZAGREB, Mar 26 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of
Representatives on Friday passed with a majority of vote the
Declaration on the State of Inter-State Relations Between the
Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia.
The Declaration, motioned by the bench of the ruling Croatian
Democratic Union, supports Croatian government efforts to seek
through negotiations with the Slovene government mutually
acceptable solutions to all open issues in such a way which will
enable both countries to join European and Euro-Atlantic
integration.
With the Declaration, the Lower House supported a government report
on the state of relations with neighbouring Slovenia.
According to the Declaration and based on the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea, representatives of Croatia must
advocate to have the sea border in Piran Bay determined according to
the criterion of equidistance in the middle of the bay. Until the
border is determined, the two countries must refrain from exerting
any form of authority across the central border on sea in the bay.
In case views regarding the border cannot be adjusted within 12
months, the Croatian government is authorised to seek an advisory
opinion of the Hamburg-based International Tribunal for the Law of
the Sea or another relevant international institution.
As regards the land border where the borderline extends to the Piran
Bay coastline, the Declaration says the Croatian government and the
State Commission for Borders must advocate the view that the
borderline extends to its southern-most point where the Sveti
Odorik canal flows into Piran Bay.
Parliament demands the government to request the Slovene
government to immediately withdraw the remaining soldiers from a
barracks in Sveta Gora which, alongside the surrounding premises,
is owned by Croatia.
The Declaration also supports the government's view regarding the
ownership and management of the jointly-built Krsko nuclear plant.
Parliament believes as unacceptable the unilateral proclamation of
the plant as a Slovene public company and the discontinuation of
power supply to Croatia's power utility company.
Parliament believes one of the most serious open issues between the
two countries is the issue of Croatian citizens' deposits in
Slovenia's Ljubljanska Bank. Parliament supports the depositors'
justified demands for returns and believes the depositors have been
damaged though unilateral moves on Slovenia's part.
Prior to the signing of any agreement on borderlines on sea and
land, the government has been bound to present the Lower House with
the adjusted text of the agreement.
The government has also been bound to notify the Lower House within
three months on the success or failure of negotiations with
Slovenia.
(hina) ha