EU Wants Slovenia, Croatia To Resolve Border Row This Week
LUXEMBOURG (AFP)--E.U. Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn Monday stressed the
need for Croatia and Slovenia to settle this week their border dispute, which is
hampering Croatia's bid for E.U. membership.
"It is really the moment of truth now and we should all try to settle this
before the European council" summit meeting Thursday, Rehn said as he entered
E.U. foreign ministers talks in Luxembourg.
The foreign ministers were to hold talks with their Croatian and Slovenian
counterparts on the sidelines of the talks.
"I certainly hope that we could complete and conclude the process," said Rehn.
The E.U. commissioner was first to hold talks on the matter with the "trio" of
past, present and future holders of the European Union presidency: France, the
Czech Republic and Sweden.
The border row involves a small piece of land and sea and dates back to 1991,
when both countries proclaimed independence from the former Yugoslavia.
Slovenia joined the E.U. in 2004. Croatia hopes to become the E.U.'s 28th
member by 2011.
A key point for Ljubljana is securing free access to international shipping
waters by getting a corridor that would cross Piran bay which is currently
controlled by Zagreb.
The 18-year-old border dispute has blocked Croatia's E.U. membership talks
since December, with Slovenia demanding it be resolved before the accession
negotiations resume.
In April Rehn proposed setting up a tribunal to arbitrate in the dispute.
However, while Slovenia views E.U. mediation as a way to resolve the dispute,
Croatia considers it simply a stepping stone to a resolution before the
International Court of Justice in The Hague.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
06-15-090320ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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