Ljubljana: Time running out for Croatia

Slovenian PM Borut Pahor has warned that time for solving the problems with Croatia is running out, calling for an urgent meeting with Croatian PM Ivo Sanader. Pahor said that he had launched the initiative for a meeting with Sanader a few weeks ago to discuss Ljubljana’s reserves that have brought Croatia’s EU accession talks to a standstill. Ljubljana: Time running out for Croatia Speaking on the margins of the Delo newspaper’s award ceremony for personality of the year, the Slovenian prime minister said that the chances of the problem being solved during the Czech EU presidency were fading fast, reports the Slovenian STA agency. On the basis of a resolution adopted by party leaders on December 17, the Slovenian government will draft Ljubljana’s official position on the open issues with Croatia. That document will later be submitted to parliament, said Pahor. Slovenia blocked the opening and closing of 11 negotiating chapters with Zagreb at an accession conference late last year, during the French presidency, claiming that the chapters indirectly “prejudiced borders” with Slovenia. As a result, Pahor proposed the meeting with Sanader, or alternatively, between the two countries’ foreign ministers, as soon as possible. The Croatian prime minister’s response was that he would only attend meetings in the presence of EU representatives. Borut Pahor (FoNet, archive)

Ljubljana: Time running out for Croatia

Speaking on the margins of the Delo newspaper’s award ceremony for personality of the year, the Slovenian prime minister said that the chances of the problem being solved during the Czech EU presidency were fading fast, reports the Slovenian STA agency.

On the basis of a resolution adopted by party leaders on December 17, the Slovenian government will draft Ljubljana’s official position on the open issues with Croatia. That document will later be submitted to parliament, said Pahor.

Slovenia blocked the opening and closing of 11 negotiating chapters with Zagreb at an accession conference late last year, during the French presidency, claiming that the chapters indirectly “prejudiced borders” with Slovenia.

As a result, Pahor proposed the meeting with Sanader, or alternatively, between the two countries’ foreign ministers, as soon as possible.

The Croatian prime minister’s response was that he would only attend meetings in the presence of EU representatives.