I think that ministers will support my revised compromise proposal I outlined last week. It is now a crucial moment both for the two countries and for the EU. In the last three months we passed 42 kilometres of this marathon, we have entered a stadium, and it is now important for us not to give up but to keep the momentum and pass through the finish, Rehn said before the start of a ministerial conference in Luxembourg on Monday.
He added that he expected the two countries to soon give political responses to his proposal.
The state of affairs in Croatia's EU membership talks is the first item on the agenda of today's regular meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg.
The Czech presidency of the 27-EU strong bloc put this topic as the first item of the agenda of today's meeting at the request of several EU members dissatisfied with a lack of progress in the accession negotiations, caused by Slovenia's blockade of the talks due to its border dispute with Croatia.
This is the first time for EU foreign minister to consider at their official meeting a stalemate in Croatia's EU entry talks.
They discussed the matter also at their informal meeting in Hluboka, the Czech Republic, in late March.
Commissioner Rehn is going to notify ministers about his latest compromise proposal which has already won the backing from the EU presidential troika consisting of France, the Czech Republic and Sweden.
I think that we will accept what Commissioner Rehn has proposed, that is, an arbitration court which for me should be entrusted with two tasks: to define the border on the land and sea, and to tackle the access to the high seas which is important for Slovenia. Rehn's proposal is good, and I think that we will get the support from all the countries. Then it will be on the arbitration court to find a solution, Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn said ahead of the meeting.
Asselborn said that the EU cannot much help efforts aimed at solving bilateral issues.
We can see in other examples that the EU cannot solve bilateral issues. We can only try to mediate and assist. I hope that both Croatia and Slovenia will have enough political will to find a solution, he added.
Asselborn said that the EU should encourage the Croatian government to intensify its cooperation with the Hague-based UN war crimes tribunal.
It is very important, you can see what is happening with Serbia which has been blocked for months. Croatia has done a major part of the cooperation with the arrest of Ante Gotovina, and now it must continue cooperating. It is important, he added.
Finnish Foreign Minister Aleksander Stubb said that bilateral issues must not have an impact on accession negotiations.
I hold that neither Slovenia nor Croatia should be put under pressure. Commissioner Rehn does an excellent job, his proposal goes from mediation towards arbitration and is seeking a solution acceptable for both sides, but we repeatedly stress that bilateral issues must not hinder accession negotiations, Stubb said expressing hope that the two countries together with the Commission would make a headway.
Slovene Foreign Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar said that he did not expect any results from today's discussion and again accused Croatia of having imposed the bilateral issue in accession negotiations.
Zbogar said that it was Slovenia which would decide when it would unblock Croatia's EU accession negotiations.
It is up to us to decide when the time is (for unblocking). it is our vital interest. We listen to voices from Brussels and Zagreb but our voice should also be heard," Zbogar said.
Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said that he did not expect expect anything sensational form today's discussion.
Commissioner Rehn will inform us about efforts he is taking and that he has received strong support from the EU presidency, France and Sweden, Bildt said.