A source from the ministry speaking on condition of anonymity gave this statement to Hina in response to yesterday's incident when four Slovene policemen raided the construction site and ordered Croatian workers to leave the place, near the Sveti Martin na Muri - Hotiza border crossing.
"We believe that friendly countries should solve outstanding issues or possibly contentious issues through dialogue, without incidents, or unilateral moves and without any attempt to prejudge (a settlement)," the source said.
The Croatian Government rejects any attempt to create an extraordinary or alarming situation, and it will continue protecting and safeguarding national interests in relations with Slovenia treating it as a friendly neighbouring country, the ministry said.
Croatia's Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and his Slovene counterpart Janez Jansa on Monday talked about this problem on the phone. Also, Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel discussed the issue with Croatian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Hido Biscevic, who was on the Slovene Lake Bled yesterday.
"The fact that Prime Ministers Sanader and Jansa ... have also discussed works on the reconstruction of the dyke and exchanged arguments on the legal aspects concerning that part of the land border, confirms the interest of the two sides in establishing facts and solving possible disputable issues through good-neighbourly dialogue," the ministry stated.
This is why there is no reason for any police action, and our position that (yesterday's) act by the Slovene police was unacceptable and pernicious was clearly conveyed to Ljubljana in contacts between Croatian Interior Minister Ivica Kirin and his Slovene counterpart Dragutin Mate, the source said, adding that the ministry's position is that there will be no more acts that may additionally complicate the situation.