Politics hindering solution to border dispute

The border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia could be resolved in one afternoon if were not for politics, experts from both countries believe. A mixed commission of international legal experts from Slovenia and Croatia, who met on Wednesday for the last time, agreed that the borders defined on independence day, June 25, 1991, should be respected, adding that the dispute was over only six kilometers of border. Politics hindering solution to border dispute “If no political instructions were given from either side, the commission would be able to finish this job in one afternoon,” said Davorin Rudolf, the head of the Croatian part of the commission. Miha Pogacnik, his Slovenian counterpart, said that there were only two more open issues between the commissions, including the subject of the dispute and the principles of justice, which cannot be resolved through experts and is a strictly political issue. Rudolf said that he was disappointed that Pogacnik had not accepted his initiative for the commission to continue working “because after 18 years of work, it has come closest to finding a solution.” Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said that the government would analyze the commission’s report before considering any new initiatives in the dispute, while Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that the commission should wrap up its work. Sanader said that Croatia would continue to insist on the agreement reached with former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s government two years ago regarding the borders. He said that Croatia would take this argument to the International Court of Justice if necessary. The Croatian prime minister said that Zagreb had not received an official proposal from the European Commission regarding the lifting of the blockade on Croatia’s EU association talks, adding that Slovenia’s citizens would support Croatia’s EU membership if asked in a referendum. He said that “the explanations by Pahor that Slovenia is blocking Croatia’s negotiations in order to avert this referendum that could have a negative result for Croatia, are complete nonsense.”

Politics hindering solution to border dispute

“If no political instructions were given from either side, the commission would be able to finish this job in one afternoon,” said Davorin Rudolf, the head of the Croatian part of the commission.

Miha Pogačnik, his Slovenian counterpart, said that there were only two more open issues between the commissions, including the subject of the dispute and the principles of justice, which cannot be resolved through experts and is a strictly political issue.

Rudolf said that he was disappointed that Pogačnik had not accepted his initiative for the commission to continue working “because after 18 years of work, it has come closest to finding a solution.”

Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said that the government would analyze the commission’s report before considering any new initiatives in the dispute, while Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that the commission should wrap up its work.

Sanader said that Croatia would continue to insist on the agreement reached with former Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša’s government two years ago regarding the borders. He said that Croatia would take this argument to the International Court of Justice if necessary.

The Croatian prime minister said that Zagreb had not received an official proposal from the European Commission regarding the lifting of the blockade on Croatia’s EU association talks, adding that Slovenia’s citizens would support Croatia’s EU membership if asked in a referendum.

He said that “the explanations by Pahor that Slovenia is blocking Croatia’s negotiations in order to avert this referendum that could have a negative result for Croatia, are complete nonsense.”