FM Rupel: Support for Croatia Right Decision
Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel has said that, at the EU summit later this week, Slovenia will not object to the Union launching accession negotiations with Croatia. Rupel believes this is the right decision that will pay off in the future.
Rupel said that the relations with Croatia were not bad, given the well-balanced and substantial bilateral trade.
Moreover, Slovenia's position as an EU and NATO member and the country presiding over the OSCE is very strong, so it needs not worry over every trifle, or "dramatise every incident".
Nevertheless, Rupel also voiced doubt about Croatia's credibility, in particular in the face of past events, such as the country's withdrawal from the bilateral border agreement.
As Rupel said denying Croatia support on its path towards the EU would not be in Slovenia's best interests. According to him, Slovenia is keen for Croatia to adopt European standards that do not allow unilateral moves.
The minister reiterated the idea of a joint historical commission that would look into the archives in Slovenia and Belgrade so as to examine the history of Slovenia-Croatia relations. He noted that Slovenia successfully addressed its relations with Austria and Italy in a similar way.
More articles from this issue:
Archive
|