The Foreign Ministry issued on Wednesday a rebuke against Croatian political and media depictions of Slovenian-Croatian relations, saying that "certain Croatian politicians and journalists" have been providing untrue pictures of bilateral relations, whereby they have been "harshly, intolerantly as well as unjustifiably attacking Slovenian officials."
"The Foreign Ministry opposes such a policy and proposes that the Croatian government, and possibly the media, promote a different, positive attitude. This does not mean that anyone should renounce criticism, but they should avoid untruths and the instigation of intolerance," reads a statement posted on the ministry's website.
The ministry goes on to point out that Slovenia has always been Croatia's ally, even though such a policy was not always rewarded with gratitude - either in Slovenia or in Croatia.
"The official and consistent support of Croatia's efforts was met with the critique that Croatia does not appreciate friendly actions. Notwithstanding the unusual reactions, however, Slovenia did not renounce its principles."
The ministry rebuffs claims by Croatian commentators that the two countries have been negotiating unsuccessfully for 15 years. It points, for example, to the 2001 agreement between prime ministers Janez Drnovsek and Ivica Racan, which was later rejected in Croatia.
In the statement entitled "Ten Points by the Foreign Ministry Regarding Croatia's Negative Comments on Slovenia", the ministry lists 20 of the most "prominent" unilateral moves by Croatia in the past 15 years, but says that Slovenia is ready for "negotiations, the intervention of a third party, reconciliation or arbitration."
However, it points out that it is cautious about arbitration since the two countries had already agreed on arbitration on foreign currency deposits by Croatian citizens in Ljubljanska banka (LB), but Croatia later pulled back.
"It is necessary to come clean: Croatia awaits much tougher challenges on the path to the EU than an agreement with Slovenia...One can thus infer that these issues are a useful subject of the election campaign in Croatia."
The ministry says allegations that Slovenia has unjustified demands on Croatia and that it is greedy are "unfounded and negative, they worsen relations and instill unrest".
"Slovenia does not want such negative development. The Foreign Ministry therefore calls for the cooperation and unification of all those who can contribute to an objective depiction of the circumstances," the statement reads.
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