ZAGREB, October 2, 2018 – Slovenian President Borut Pahor said in Geneva on Tuesday that he was confident that the border between Croatia and Slovenia would “sooner or later” be as determined by the international arbitral tribunal, while Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the arbitration process had been compromised and the two countries should seek a mutually acceptable solution.
“I am confident that sooner or later the border between Croatia and Slovenia will be as defined by the arbitral tribunal,” Pahor said at a joint news conference held after a conference on the Western Balkans, organised by the World Economic Forum in Geneva.
Plenković and Pahor met briefly on the margins of the conference that was attended by the heads of state or government or government ministers of Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia, Germany, Slovenia, Slovakia, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.
“We met briefly, we talked, it’s good that we have a dialogue. Croatia’s position is quite clear, we want to solve the border issue in a way that will be acceptable to both countries,” said Plenković.
He reiterated that Croatia considered the arbitration process irreparably compromised by Slovenia and that the Croatian parliament had decided unanimously that Croatia should walk out of the arbitration process.
“In the time ahead we want both countries to find a solution… with which they will be able to live. That is our main message, and as far as Slovenia’s position is concerned, it doesn’t come as a surprise, I’m familiar with it,” said Plenković.
