Parties Agree Govt Should Keep Looking for Croatia Solutions

Ljubljana, 17 August

Slovenian parties agreed that the government should keep up efforts for solving open issues with Croatia at a bipartisan meeting held by Prime Minister Janez Jansa on Friday dedicated to discussing the strategy for tackling open issues with the southern neighbour.

Jansa told the press after the meeting that Croatia's response to a recent Slovenian initiative allowed a continuation of efforts for a joint solution to the open issues.
As far as the border issue goes, the party leaders were of the opinion that "it made no sense to continue pushing for a bilateral solution" and agreed that "a third side be called in" to assist, with all forms of help still in the game, from conciliation to arbitration.
Jansa added that the decision had not yet been taken on what solution for the friendly settling of disputes would be put forward by Slovenia.
Slovenia is "ready for arbitration or other forms of third-party assistance, but under the condition that the constitutional decisions of both parliaments on 25 June 1991 (when both countries declared independence) are taken into account and the best form of third-party assistance is sought," he said.
The parties were also unanimous in rejecting Croatia's proposal that the border issue be put to the Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg. According to them, a solution needs to be sought for the entire border rather than just the maritime part, which means another body must be sought.
The Slovenian prime minister stressed that further steps by Slovenia would depend on future meetings among the parties. They will "determine what steps Slovenia will take", he said. The next meeting is likely to take place before the end of the month.
According to Jansa, the countries should on their own seek solutions for the "status, savers, debt and claims of the Ljubljanska banka bank", which went bust after the break up of Yugoslavia, leaving Croatian foreign currency savers unable to get their money.
Slovenia claims Croatia should pay out the savers of the Croatia branch in line with succession agreements, while Croatia claims the bank must pay the debt.
Asked whether it is true that he is to meet his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader next week - as announced by Sanader today in Split - Jansa said that the meeting would be welcome, but was not yet arranged in detail.
The heads of the parliamentary parties voiced their satisfaction over the meeting, with Janez Podobnik, the head of the ruling coalition People's Party (SLS), expressing pleasure that the parties have unified their positions on the "interpretation of the situation as it was on 25 June 1991".
Podobnik also hinted that this meant that arbitration on the border in the Bay of Piran would not happen, as all parties agreed that Slovenia had then fully controlled the bay. The parties also agreed that Slovenia should get access to open seas and had control over the territory on the Slovenian side of the Mura river.
"These three positions are key for future decisions regarding the instrument of international law to be used," Podobnik said.
Karl Erjavec, the head of the ruling coalition Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), stressed that the meeting was a step forward in solving open issues between the two countries. "As Slovenia is taking over as EU president in 2008, it has to play a positive and credible role in solving open issues," Erjavec added.
Andrej Bajuk, the leader of the coalition's New Slovenia (NSi), meanwhile expressed pleasure over the "constructive atmosphere" at the talks and the prevailing attitude on the need to carry out proper measures to "arrive at a long-term solution and harmony between the two countries".
Borut Pahor, the head of the opposition Social Democrats (SD), was also pleased with the meeting. He said that the SD supported seeking new ways to arrive at solutions, especially fixing the land and sea border in a way that would be acceptable to both sides.
Katarina Kresal, the president of the opposition Liberal Democrats (LDS), welocomed the outcome of the meeting, but said that it could have taken place before Slovenia sent its initiative to Croatia.
A similar opinion was voiced by Matej Lahovnik, the leader of the For Real group of unaffiliated MPs. He believes that the border will not be fixed prior to 2009, due to the autumn general election in Croatia, Slovenia's 2008 EU presidency and parliamentary vote in Slovenia following the presidency.
Zmago Jelincic, the leader of the opposition National Party (SNS), believes that the manner in which Croatia responds to positive initiatives from Slovenia means that the only solution to resolve the issues lies in calling a peace conference on the former Yugoslavia.
He also announced that the SNS intended to call a referendum on Croatia's EU entry before the other countries of the former Yugoslavia, as the party believes that the Western Balkan countries should join the EU together.

Parties Agree Govt Should Keep Looking for Croatia Solutions

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