Croatia Did Not Receive Slovenia’s Proposal

The ministry of foreign affairs did not receive any official proposal about including a third party, said the spokesperson Zeljko Belaj.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations (MVPEI) confirmed on Tuesday that talks are being held with Slovenia about solving open issues, but that an official Slovenian proposal about including a third party in solving border questions has not been received.

“Intensive talks are in progress, and are being held at various levels. As one of the possibilities for them, the OSCE’s Court of Conciliation and Arbitration has been mentioned”, said the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Zeljko Belaj, for Hina on Tuesday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not received any official proposal about including a third party”, said Belaj, not wanting to reveal any other details about the talks with the Slovenian side.

The Slovenian television station POP TV, announced on Monday night, that the Slovenian government has sent Croatia a document about solving open questions between the two countries, in which they propose the former French minister of Justice, Robert Badinter to be a mediator in determining the national borders.

Since 1995, Badinter has been the president of the OSCE’s Court of Conciliation and Arbitration, and during the 90s he was the chairman of the so called Badinter’s commission which was involved with the borders of the former SFRJ.

On Tuesday, the Slovenian news agency STA reported that the news from POP TV was confirmed by the Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however they did not want to say anything about the contents of the document, because revealing details could harm the negotiating position of Slovenia.

According to POP TV, Ljubljana has offered in Zagreb, amongst other things, a third party to be mediator for the solution to the border dispute. That question was first discussed by the Slovenian Cabinet, and then by the parliamentary board for foreign affairs.

POP TV has stated that the countries should later decide if the issue at hand is about a legally binding arbitration, or a non binding mediation.

According to Slovenian television, Badinter would accept the offer for mediation.

POP TV has stated that for months now, secret diplomatic contacts have been taking place between Ljubljana and Zagreb, even at the level of the premier, and this is the reason why Slovenia is expecting a positive answer from Croatia for its initiative.

STA states that the document could also be about other open issues, including: the nuclear power plant Krsko, the bank account holders of “Ljubljanska Banka” (Bank of Ljubljana), and determining the border between the Croatian and Slovenian ecological zones in the Adriatic Sea.