FM Says Slovenia Ready for Talks with Zagreb but No Appeasement
Slovenia is ready for very constructive talks with Croatia, but "it will not be giving any further concessions," Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said in Ljubljana on Tuesday.
"Slovenia has suffered considerable damage due to its constructive policies and that period is now running out. We will now have to look each other in the eyes, consult the documents and go forward," said Rupel in response to a meeting of the presidents of Slovenia and Croatia last weekend.
Rupel said he had no reports on this informal meeting between presidents Janez Drnovsek and Stipe Mesic and that he did not expect to receive any either. He nonetheless believes their statements were encouraging.
The minister admitted that relations between the two countries were not always very good, "but we are nevertheless in some way condemned to friendship".
"People, especially in this time when they are spending holidays in Croatia, have a much more realistic view of the situation than certain politicians who believe they will gain additional political points leading up to the local elections," Rupel said.
Rupel also touched on Kosovo, especially in light of Monday's statements by Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica, who said that Serbia will never let go of Kosovo just to gain quicker access to the EU. As Rupel said, this viewpoint is quite problematic for the bloc.
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