Slovenia Considering Referendum For Croatia Entry

Accession negotiations will remain blocked and it is possible that Slovenia decides on the ratification with a referendum.

If the border dispute is not solved soon, to the satisfaction of Slovene interests as well. Croatia’s European Union accession negotiations will remain blocked and the possibility of Slovene voters deciding on ratifying the Croatian accession contract with the EU at a referendum is more and more realistic – said Slovene Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Zbogar.

- A referendum might be avoided if the two countries start solving the border dispute – Zbogar told the Mag weekly.

“Referendum is not a threat, but a fact”

- But if the situation remains as it is now, it will be very complicated. A referendum is not a threat, but a fact if the border issue is not solved. However, if people feel a feeling that some sort of a process was happening concerning the border dispute, which will lead to a good solution for both parties, then we don`t have to be afraid of a referendum – Zbogar explained.

At the end of last year, the Slovene cabinet blocked most Croatian EU accession negotiation chapters at two accession conferences under the presidency of France, augmenting it with the position that Croatia was “prejudicing” the border with Slovenia in its documents.

The European Commission expressed regret over Slovenia`s position.

Slovene Prime Minister Borut Pahor expressed readiness for a bilateral meeting with his Croatian counterpart Ivo Sanader, but maintains that Slovenia will not revoke its veto if Croatia does not withdraw its “disputable documentation” or states it will not use it before an international arbitrage body or court which would solve the bilateral border issue.

- Croatia did not wish to withdraw documents which set the border at sea at the middle of Piran Bay – Zbogar said.

“Possibility of freezing the border issue has passed”

He advocated bilateral negotiations on the border which would also respect Slovenia`s “vital interest” concerning the border at sea- At the same time, he is sceptical over the option of the bilateral border issue to be frozen until further notice or solved within the framework of international commissions for the preparation of arbitrage. These commissions were established based on the Bled agreement Slovene PM at the time Janez Jansa made with Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader in 2007.

- There are no bilateral negotiations at the moment, only negotiation on the arbitrage are taking place. We have to wait and see if this will provide results or not, but I think there is no point in dragging this option endlessly. And the option of freezing the border issue, let`s say for 50 years, has already passed – Zbogar explained the situation created after the bloc of Croatian EU accession negotiations.