Slovenia threatens Croatia !!!!!!!

[Branko2]

Slovenia threatens to drop support for Croatia's EU bid over Adriatic row


Slovenia on Monday threatened to withdraw its support for Croatia's European Union aspirations in response to Zagreb's plans to proclaim an exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea.

"We are coming to the point at which Slovenia will have to re-consider its policy (of backing Croatia's accession to the EU)", Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel said.

The Slovenian government on Sunday recalled its ambassador to Zagreb, Peter Bekes, "for consultations" amid outrage at Croatia's plans to lay claim to a large part of the Adriatic.

Croatia and Italy propose to divide the Adriatic Sea bordering their territorial waters into two exclusive economic zones, leaving Slovenia without direct access to international shipping waters leading to the Mediterranean.

This has brought to a head a long-standing row between Croatia and Slovenia over access to the Adriatic.

The two former Yugoslav states have since independence in 1991 been locked in a dispute over their shared border at Piran Bay on the Adriatic.

The two governments reached a deal in 2001 that granted Slovenia direct access to international shipping waters in the Adriatic, but this was later rejected by the Croatian parliament.

Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula was quoted in the press here Sunday as saying the 2001 deal on the Adriatic was dead and Slovenia should accept it has no direct access to international shipping waters.

Slovenia, which is set to join the EU in May 2004, had so far supported Croatia's bid to join the bloc in the next wave of enlargement.

But Rupel Monday accused Zagreb of trying to damage Slovenia's strategic interests.

"That is an attempt to damage Slovenia's economic and political interests and creating complicated relations on the border between the enlarged EU and Croatia," he said.

"The Croatian minister's statements are unacceptable and could provoke a serious worsening in relations," he added.

Rupel said experts from both countries are expected to meet in Ljubljana on September 16 to discuss the matter.

Slovenia's coastline is just over 42 kilometres (26 miles) long, while Croatia's is more than 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) long.

[Julie]

I am surprised that Slovenians are so unreasonable! When I visited the country, they seemed very nice people to me! Maybe I was wrong...

[Nick]

This dispute has been going on for some time and it sounds like Slovenia has decided to try and exert some pressure on Croatia, now they are in the EU.
I doubt whether Slovenia's support is worth much in Croatia's EU accession through.
Remember they have only just joined and nearly all of the EU influence is held by France and Germany (plus UK, Italy, Spain, Holland and Belgium to a slightly lesser extent)

[zeljko]

I THINK WE SHOULD CLOSE OUR BORDER WITH SLOVENIA AND MAKE BIG BRIDGE FROM ISTRA TO TRIESTE. ;D

[Ante]

i think that we should screw them all........
just get Ryannair to fly in to Rijeka, Zagreb, Osijek, Split and Dubrovnik !
then build the bridge.......call it the Peace bridge; connecting the West (Italy) with the East (Hrvatska) as a thankyou to the EU which "saved" Hrvatska from absolute destruction........maybe even give the US one of the little barren islands so that they can stick a Planet Hollywood on it, also as a thankyou...........
Then the government can insist that countries such as Slovenia, Serbia and Montenegro, Greece, Albania, etcetc need to apply for a Visa before they can enter Hrvatska (obviously increasing the prices as it gets closer to summer).
The requirement for Visas can be justified as a "road-tax" or "environment-tax" of sorts. Those further out than our neighbours are more likely to leave their cars and pollution at home, instead using public transportation etc........those nearest to our borders would obviously be chugging along across the border in their prehistoric nutsboxes that clog up the roads and do nothing else but smoke up our lovely air...........okok, so it ain't all true........then again, all you need is a reason !

(after about 6 to 12 months......put up some road tolls, which only cars with Croatian number plates do not have to pay)

[Daria]

This is an outrage!!! >:(I mean the Slovenians want us out and they want our sea. Well that's not going to happen. Us Croatians will be smart enough to keep our water and divide with the Italians and Italians only.
Daria