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Croatian ambassador presents EU presidency priorities in Slovenian parliament

Author: Vojo Micak

ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - Croatia's ambassador to Slovenia, Boris Grigic, presented the priorities of the Croatian presidency of the Council of the European Union in the Slovenian parliament on Friday at the invitation of the Foreign Policy Committee and the European Affairs Committee.

Addressing a joint session of the two committees, Grigic said he agreed with a statement by a Slovenian MP that Croatia and Slovenia were "the best possible natural allies" and that they had a lot of common interests when it came to the priorities of the European Union.

As for the outstanding issues between the two countries, which were raised by some MPs, Grigic said he hoped that, building on their positive relationship, the two countries would come to mutually acceptable solutions.

"I hope we will find appropriate solutions that we have bilaterally on the negotiating table," the ambassador said, recalling that these issues were not new but originated from the time of the former Yugoslavia.

Among the topics that drew the greatest attention were migration, the EU membership prospects of the Western Balkan countries and the EU's cohesion policy, considering the possible reduction of cohesion funds in negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework. The discussion showed that Ljubljana and Zagreb had similar interests.

Speaking of Croatian efforts to prevent illegal migration along the Balkan route via Croatia and Slovenia towards western Europe, Grigic said that the EU had invested a lot to help Croatia better control its external border with non-member states, adding that Croatia was trying to comply with EU rules on the human rights of migrants and protect the EU's external border against illegal migration without erecting barbed-wire fencing.

As for EU enlargement towards the Western Balkans, Grigic agreed with the opinion of Slovenian MPs that it was an important priority and that those countries should be given an EU perspective by setting clear criteria which they needed to fulfill.

The session was attended by the head of the European Commission Representation to Ljubljana, Zoran Stancic, MEPs Irena Joveva and Klemen Groselj, and Slovenian government officials.

(Hina) vm

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