LJUBLJANA, April 9 (Hina) - Relations between Croatia and Slovenia are developing well and the remaining outstanding issues can be solved, the two countries' foreign ministers agreed at a joint press conference after meeting in
Ljubljana on Friday.
LJUBLJANA, April 9 (Hina) - Relations between Croatia and Slovenia are
developing well and the remaining outstanding issues can be solved,
the two countries' foreign ministers agreed at a joint press
conference after meeting in Ljubljana on Friday.#L#
"We want good and friendly relations and more joint activities in
international affairs. Croatia and Slovenia can be an important anchor
of stability in Southeast Europe," Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij
Rupel said, expressing satisfaction with the great progress Croatia
had made in getting closer to the European Union.
Congratulating Slovenia and its people on being admitted to NATO and
the European Union, Croatian Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul said that
Slovenia's admission to the two organisations did not make Croatia
envious or jealous, and that Croatia was confident that it would soon
be given EU membership candidate status. He also recalled that Croatia
had been mentioned at the Washington summit in the context of NATO
membership.
In their answers to reporters' questions, both ministers expressed
optimism that the remaining outstanding issues would be resolved and
said that those issues should not hinder the good development of
relations.
Rupel and Zuzul agreed that possibilities of a negotiated settlement
to the sea border issue had been exhausted and that efforts should be
made to resolve technical issues relating to arbitration before the
end of this year.
Rupel said he had handed his Croatian counterpart a letter approving
the accreditation of career diplomat Mario Nobilo as a new Croatian
ambassador to Slovenia.
Zuzul said he believed progress had been made at trilateral meetings
of Croatia, Slovenia and Italy on the ecological and fishing zone
proclaimed by Croatia in the Adriatic Sea.
Zuzul was also received by Slovene President Janez Drnovsek,
Parliament Speaker Borut Pahor, Prime Minister Anton Rop and the
Archbishop of Ljubljana, Franc Rode.
(Hina) vm sb