ZAGREB, CROATIA – I am glad that not enough signatures were collected for a referendum on Croatia joining NATO. This has maintained the constitutional right of collecting signatures and the will of members of parliament, who mostly voted for ratification of Croatia’s access into NATO. So, there will be no referendum – Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said in Brussels. 

Pahor also said he has spoken to representatives of the EU summit in Brussels about the standstill in Croatian accession negotiations with the EU, warning them that the referendum initiated in Slovenia on occasion of Croatia’s entering NATO was also possible in the case of ratification of Croatia’s accession agreement with the European Union, for which a two-thirds majority in parliament will primarily be necessary.

PM Pahor Seeks Delay for Accession Conference

In talks with his Czech colleague Mirek Topolanek, Pahor proposed that the inter-governmental conference on Croatia’s accession scheduled for March 27 be delayed until April or May. This would give more time to change the circumstances that led to the Slovenian veto on the opening and closing of multiple negotiating chapters.

- I proposed the postponement because I believe that that would give the European Union, Slovenia and Croatia enough time to make changes in the circumstances because of which Slovenia has requested a postponement in negotiation talks with Croatia. It is hardly possible that this could come about in March due to too little time. I am glad that Prime Minister Toploanek voiced readiness to assess Slovenia’s proposal – Pahor said.

While Pahor is being careful and seeking a postponement of accession protocols, Croatian Prime  Minister Ivo Sanader told the German media that Slovenia should cease its blockade of Croatia’s accession negotiations with the European Union because the blockade and the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia had nothing to do with each other.

Sanader stressed that Croatia used no documents in which it would prejudge the border and warned Croatia would not yield in territorial issues.