LJUBLJANA/RIVA DEL GARDA, Sept 5 (Hina) - Croatia's plans to proclaim an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic are not good and Europe sees them as a pre-election move, Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said on Friday.
LJUBLJANA/RIVA DEL GARDA, Sept 5 (Hina) - Croatia's plans to
proclaim an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic are not good and
Europe sees them as a pre-election move, Slovene Foreign Minister
Dimitrij Rupel said on Friday. #L#
Rupel was addressing Slovene reporters in Riva del Garda, Italy,
during a session of foreign ministers of the European Union and
countries which will become full EU members next year.
The Slovene minister said that he discussed relations between
Slovenia and Croatia on the margins of the meeting with a number of
his colleagues, including Chris Patten, the EU's foreign policy
commissioner.
He stated that he had already received some replies to a letter he
had sent some EU officials regarding Croatia's intention. "Their
main message is that the unilateral measures Croatia has been
planning aren't good. However, the EU believes that one should
demonstrate understanding because Croatia is facing elections,"
Rupel said summarising his impressions from talks with European
colleagues.
Asked what steps Slovenia intended to take regarding Croatia's
plans, Rupel said that his country advocated an integral system of
protection of the environment and fisheries in the Adriatic, and
believed that all Adriatic countries should participate in it.
(hina) rml