Mr. Peter Bekeš, the Slovenian Ambassador to Croatia, was received by Mr. Darko Bekić

Today, Mr. Peter Bekeš, the Slovenian Ambassador to Croatia, was received by Mr. Darko Bekić, the Croatian Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The Slovenian Minister requested official position of the Croatian Government with regard to the position expressed on the web pages of the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture on the establishment of the Economic Zone in the Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea.

Mr. Darko Bekić, Assistant Minister, informed the Slovenian Ambassador that during the same day, the Croatian side would replay, in written, to the note of the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Further, he informed him in detail on diplomatic activities of Croatia, as well as on expert and technical preparations in our countries related to the preservation of endangered fishing stock, as well as to better ecological protection of the Adriatic basin. According to Mr. Bekić, these activities and preparations are taking place in accordance with national policy on natural and economic resources of the Adriatic Sea, and in accordance with the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU.

The EU is well aware that because the Mediterranean basin and the Adriatic Sea are highly endangered, new modalities and instruments for the protection of fishing stock and environment must be urgently found. The European Conference on this topic is to be held in Venice at the end of this year.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs began consultations with Italy, as chairing the EU, and is in permanent diplomatic communication with Slovenia and other countries of the Adriatic basin, Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. The Government’s Working Group for following the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy of the EU, established at the initiative of Mr. Tonino Picula, the Croatian Foreign Minister, headed by Mr. Ivan Šimonović, Deputy Foreign Minister, is intensively working on the preparations of the Croatian position and the concept for resolving this delicate issue important for national economic and political interests.

Diplomatic consultations and the work of the Government’s Commission continue. According to Mr. Bekić, Croatia will acknowledge legitimate interests of Slovenia, as a friendly and neighbouring country. It is in the interest of both of these future members of the EU that the Adriatic Sea enters in the EU as a well protected and managed natural and economic resource.

In his talks with the Slovenian Ambassador, Mr. Bekić reiterated the proposal that Mr. Ivan Šimonović and Mr. Iztok Mirošić, State Secretary of the Slovenian Foreign Ministry, meet in mid-September in order to inform each other on the position of the two neighbouring countries on modalities and concepts of optimum protection of the Adriatic Sea. He emphasised that the Croatian Maritime Law already foresaw, quite some time ago, the establishment of the economic zone and that the decision of the Croatian Parliament on its promulgation is awaited, since it is a sovereign decision of any state having an exit to the open sea, according to international maritime law.

At the end of the talks, Mr. Bekić pleaded that the harmonisation of position on institutional protection of the Adriatic Sea, with full consent of the Slovenian Ambassador, must be kept in the future within regular diplomatic and expert communication, and in line with the EU policy and strategy. He added that unnecessary politicisation should be avoided and that half-true information and arguments in the media only cause tension in the media and the public in both countries.

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