Assistant Minister Neven Pelicarić expressed strong protest to Slovenian Deputy Ambassador Robert Krmelj

The Republic of Croatia, said Pelicarić, most determinately rejects the claims that the border between Croatia and Slovenia at Sv. Martin na Muri and Hotiza runs along the centre of the Mura River and that such was the condition on 25 June 1991. That claim is in direct opposition to all of the agreements and international treaties signed between the Croatian and Slovenian government regarding said area, including the recent Joint Statement by the two prime ministers that explicitly states the existence of to a large degree aligned borders of cadastral municipalities in said area. It was precisely in the Sv. Martin na Muri – Hotiza zone that the Slovenian side confirmed a full border alignment as early as 1996. It is unacceptable and inappropriate, sad Pelicarić, that important and sensitive international relations issues are arbitrarily politicised and irresponsibly used for pre-electoral purposes, which clearly is the case here.

Within the overall relations with the Republic of Slovenia, the Republic of Croatia is approaching said issue in view of the agreements and international treaties accepted and signed by the Slovenian Governments, and cannot accept the fact that that is being questioned precisely by one of its members.

Assistant Minister Pelicarić pointed out that the Slovenian Government has accepted and confirmed the conclusions of the Permanent Cross-Border Commission that arranged for the construction and location of the bridge across Mura on the Croatian national territory. It is also important to note that in the Agreement between the Croatian and Slovenian government from 25 January 2005, the Slovenian Government explicitly confirmed that the joint border crossing Sv. Martin na Muri – Hotiza, at the left side of the Mura River, is located within the Croatian national territory. Minister Podobnik’s statements try to question that fact. Croatia accepts that, in view of the riverbank construction works in that area, authorised workers should be allowed to more easily cross the border, without affecting the permanent functioning of the border crossing, added Pelicarić.

The Croatian side, said Pelicarić, expected that the last meeting of the two prime ministers, held 2 September 2006 precisely on the Mura River, on which occasion the Joint Statement was adopted, would lead to the easing of tension and avoidance of unnecessary politicisation.