ZAGREB, December 15, 2018 – New negotiations on the border dispute with Croatia would not be productive, so Slovenia insists on the implementation of the arbitration ruling, Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar told reporters during a visit to Washington on Friday.
“Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was grateful that I clearly explained our position. A return to negotiations with Croatia would not be productive,” Cerar said after meeting with Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton at the State Department.
Refusal to implement the arbitration ruling means “ignoring international law”, which is bad for the whole Western Balkans region, Cerar said.
His former government had sued Croatia to the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg, arguing that Croatia’s refusal to implement the arbitration ruling was in violation of EU law.
“We hear ministers and prime ministers in the region say they are surprised that they are required to honour the rule of law while Croatia doesn’t do that in the case of the arbitration ruling,” Cerar said, adding that Pompeo had promised to consider the matter thoroughly.
More news on the border dispute between Croatia and Slovenia and the relations between the two countries in general can be found in our Politics section.
