Letter to European Leaders on Slovenian Blockade

ZAGREB, CROATIA - The Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integrations, Gordan Jandrokovic, sent a letter to the foreign affairs ministers of EU member nations. The letter deals with the Slovenian blockade of Croatia’s accession negotiations with the EU, and the initiatives undertaken up until now for removing the Slovenian blockade, according to diplomatic sources on Tuesday.

The same source states that in the letter, Jandrokovic lists the chronology of events that led to the Slovenian blockade of Croatia’s accession negotiations and the initiatives undertaken up until now to cancel the blockade.

The same source continues, that Jandrokovic in the letter, calls upon the European practice that border issues must not be used for slowing down or blocking the accession process, and states that the Republic of Croatia is prepared to give a strong statement that no document or position in the accession negotiations between the EU and Croatia defines the final solution of the border issue between Croatia and Slovenia.

In the letter to European ministers, the Bled agreement between premier Ivo Sanader and Janez Jansa from August 2007 was listed, that foresaw the solution of that issue before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

In the end, minister Jandrokovic states that Croatia expects that the speed of the negotiations will firstly depend on Croatia progress in fulfilling special criteria, and not on a bilateral dispute that should be solved outside the negotiating frame, and in that direction offers a solution acceptable to both sides - according to diplomatic sources.

Next Monday a scheduled monthly meeting between the foreign affairs ministers of the EU in Brussels will be held, at which discussion on expanding the union is not excluded as a possibility.