Zagreb has explained that Italians do not have free access to the Croatian real estate market because they are not resident in Croatia, and that Croatian nationals cannot purchase Italian real estate either unless resident in Italy, according to the letter posted on the Italian Foreign Ministry web site.
Fini insists that Croatian nationals are free to buy real estate in Italy and that Croatia has been notified of it.
Unlike Italians, citizens of other EU member states have unobstructed access to the Croatian real estate market. Such practice is in contravention of the obligations Croatia assumed by signing the Stabilisation and Association Agreement and is contrary to Croatia's European aspirations, the letter says.
Italy attaches absolute priority to resolving this issue as part of talks on Croatia's accession to the European Union, which the Italian government supports with conviction, the letter says.