(...) Will you personally be present at the meeting in Ljubljana on 16 September? At Croatia’s proposal that the delegation, apart from legal experts, include fishery and ecology experts, and to raise the level of the delegation in view of a more successful exchange of opinions about the reform of the European fishery policy and overcoming the problems that have occurred in the communication between the two countries, the Slovenian side officially replied on September 11 that “because of the depolitization of said issues” it suggests that the “informative meeting” be held on expert level and lead by the heads of legal departments of the two countries’ ministries. This means that a deputy ambassador or a diplomat in charge of these affairs will be present at the meeting in Ljubljana.
Pogačnik too wants arbitration
Have your contacts and co-operation with the Slovenian MFA continued normally after you have not been invited to the briefing of the diplomatic meeting in Ljubljana? Have you perhaps met with Minister Rupel in the meantime? No, because I did not have a chance to, but I did meet with the charming Ida Močivnik, his close ally and State Undersecretary at the Slovenian MFA, in charge of neighbouring countries, I also met with Prime Minister Rop and hosted the Croatian Chamber of Commerce stand in Celje. Prime minister Rop visited the stand on my invitation. I met with a few other Slovenian ministers (Potočnik, Kovač, and others) and I have to say all of the meeting were very open and friendly. Yesterday I was in lovely Prekmurje, taking part in a symposium on the position of Romanies in Central Europe, and the opening of the first Romany museum in Slovenia, in the little Romany village of Kamenci near Lendava. The former Slovenian president Milan Kučan was there, as well as the current president of the upper house of the Slovenian parliament, Jnez Sušnik, who I spent a pleasant time with. In the meantime, I met with Barbara Brezigar, a candidate at the last presidential elections, and former Prime Minister and president of Nova Slovenija, Andrej Bajuk. What do you expect from the talks on 16 September? It is a good thing that we are going to sit down with Slovenians at the same table and start the process of informing each other and exchanging opinions about the issues concerning the extension of the jurisdiction over the Adriatic sea. Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that the Slovenian side has once again rejected our proposal for a bilateral political dialogue that is still being held through the media, statements, and notes. Talks about legal, ecological, and fishery issues are of course useful, but these things are already pretty well defined and regulated, and will be easy to agree upon. The issues because of which Slovenia has already started the full internalisation caign are eminently political in nature and that is why Slovenia will have a hard time explaining to the International Community why it refuses to solve them through a bilateral political dialogue with Croatia first, as this is what the EU suggests. This raises the question of what is the purpose of this meeting if it is not a part of wider political consultations? This is undoubtedly a tactical manoeuvre on the part of Slovenians that does not change the strategic essence of their policy. I would like to be proven wrong by what happens next, but right now it seems that their policy looks like this: hold an “alibi meeting,” bide time, and turn Croatia away from its legitimate right to expand its jurisdiction over the Adriatic, in accordance with the UN Law of the Sean Convention, European Union’s New Common Fishery Policy, and its own national interests. Has Croatia officially delivered to Slovenian diplomacy the proposal for the border issue to be settled through arbitration? How did Slovenia react to the possibility of international arbitration? The letter Prime Minister Račan sent to then Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Drnovšek on 2 September 2002 contains that proposal and is the first step on that way. Initial reactions to our proposal show that our idea is declaratively accepted, but at the same time, numerous “difficulties” or “unfavourable circumstances” are being detected, that supposedly make the implementation of arbitration difficult (expenses, duration, etc.), and of course, references are immediately made to the maximalistic thesis by Jelinčič, Joras, Civil Society for Borders in Istria, and others, according to which only the entire international border can be arbitrated, not just its maritime part. That is why I would like to remind you of the fact that it was Miha Pogačnik himself, the legal expert that Slovenian politicians often refer to, who said last year that arbitration can be conducted within only 6 months.
Inconsiderateness hurts our feelings
What do you think will follow after the 16 September meeting? What direction will the relations between Slovenia and Croatia take? They can and should take only one direction, and that is the direction of strengthening, deepening, and further intensifying the co-operation in all areas. Our common fate includes good neighbourly relations and membership in Euro-Atlantic Integrations. I must point out that neighbours cannot be chosen, while partners can. But sometimes it seems to me that Slovenia is having a hard time accepting this “new” Croatia that is no longer a “case country” who you can just point your finger at and it is going to get condemned because of its bad reputation. Luckily, Slovenia did not bleed like we did, fighting for our bare lives, and that is why statements like the one that its current international position and closeness to the Euro-Atlantic Integrations is solely the result of its efforts and successful “overtaking” of other ex-Yugoslavia countries, hurt our feelings. We expected a little bit more considerateness on their part. Also, I think that all countries in the region are extremely sensitive to the tutoring and condescending approach some Slovenian politicians do not seem to be able to get rid of. Once we get rid of such things and our relations are based on full equality and reciprocity, the building of partner relations to the benefit of both parties will be easy.
I welcome to return of my colleague Bekeš to Zagreb
I would like to take this opportunity to welcome Slovenia’s decision about the return of my colleague Andrej Bekeš to Zagreb. I am deeply convinced that Slovenia and Croatia, as two traditionally friendly countries, are a long way from such relations when they should reduce or unilaterally end diplomatic communication.