"If we had shown good will, some issues in relations with Croatia could have been solved in a different way," said Damijan, who is in charge of reforms and the strategy of economic-social development.
Slovenia's present position is that the issue of foreign currency savings belonging to Croatian clients is a matter of succession to the former Yugoslavia and that Croatia should open up its banking market to Slovene banks or banks in Slovene or foreign ownership regardless of the fact that the issue of savings deposits has not been settled, Damijan said.
Nevertheless, Slovenia must not burden its relations with Croatia and obstruct the country's integration with the European Union over the unsettled issue of Ljubljanska Banka, Damijan said.
"It is in our common interest to make Croatia's EU entry as quick and as easy as possible," the minister said.
Damijan's service for reforms, which will also be in charge of planing the privatisation of banks and Slovene Telekom, started operating today.