Croatian PM with lots to talk about with his Slovenian counterpart.
Croatian Prime Minister Tihomir Orešković met yesterday in Ljubljana with Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar. This was their first meeting since Orešković became Croatian Prime Minister last week. During the informal and frank exchange of views, both Prime Ministers underlined the importance of good cooperation between the two neighbouring countries. The prime ministers discussed the strengthening of bilateral relations in many areas and how to find common solutions for an even stronger development of mutual economic relations, reports Vecernji List on January 30, 2016.
They also discussed the migration crisis and have agreed on the need for better cooperation between the two countries. “They shared their concern about the absence of an effective common European response and the fact that the latest policy changes in some destination countries could result in increased bilateral tensions and, consequently, in destabilization of the Western Balkans”, says a statement released from the Government.
Prime Minister Orešković supported the initiative of his Slovenian colleague to urgently stop the influx of migrants through the Western Balkan route by providing help to Greece and Macedonia to step up the controls of their borders. The Prime Ministers agreed on close cooperation in the implementation of the initiative and in preparations for the forthcoming European Council meeting in February.
Yesterday’s meeting was a signal of improved cooperation between the two countries, especially in the migration crisis, while in other issues no major changes should be expected, reported the Slovenian media. The fact that Orešković chose Ljubljana for his first visit abroad is presented as a signal that the two countries can expect better cooperation on migration crisis in the future, reports Slovenian television, adding that the government of former Prime Minister Zoran Milanović used Slovenia to “show its muscles” and gave inappropriate statements, especially during the election campaign and with regards to the wire fence which Slovenia has put up on its border with Croatia.
In a similar tone, Delo daily from Ljubljana says that the message of the first meeting between Orešković and Cerar is positive, but that it is too little since the relations between the two countries are burdened by other issues as well, for example the issue of the border arbitration agreement which Croatia has abandoned. Slovenian media report that Cerar reiterated to Orešković that arbitration proceedings should continue and that Slovenia expects them to end with a decision which will be binding for both sides. The position of the new Croatian government is that it is necessary to look for other ways of resolving the dispute.
