LJUBLJANA, Aug 22 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel on Thursday invited Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula to visit Slovenia as soon as possible so that relations between the two countries could be improved and further
incidents, which strained relations, prevented, reports from Ljubljana said.
LJUBLJANA, Aug 22 (Hina) - Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel
on Thursday invited Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula to visit
Slovenia as soon as possible so that relations between the two
countries could be improved and further incidents, which strained
relations, prevented, reports from Ljubljana said. #L#
According to a press statement by Slovenia's Foreign Ministry, the
invitation was relayed to Picula's assistant Josko Paro over the
phone by Rupel's assistant Samuel Zbogar. The Slovene side proposed
that the topic discussed in Ljubljana be open and constructive
talks about how to strengthen mutual trust and prevent incidents.
Slovenia and Croatia have recently exchanged several notes
relating to the unresolved border demarcation in Piran Bay.
Ljubljana considers the arrest of Slovene citizen Josko Joras,
described as a fighter for Slovenia's southern border, as an
incident as well. Joras does not recognise the land border in
Istria.
Slovenia, as reports from Ljubljana indicated, believes that a
meeting between the foreign ministers of the two countries should
be a prelude to a meeting between the prime ministers to discuss
contentious matters.
Slovenia's President Milan Kucan on Wednesday commented on
statements by Croatia's highest politicians who criticised Rupel's
views on Piran Bay.
Rupel considers this still to be a "federal sea" that has yet to be
divided, and that arbitration means opening contentious spots on
the land as well. Kucan said that this was Slovenia's official
position.
He also said that polemics and comments cannot replace constructive
dialogue about disputed issues at the prime ministers' level, as
was suggested by Slovene PM Janez Drnovsek.
(hina) sp/ha sb