Decision expected soon on mediation in Slovenia-Croatia border dispute
Rehn proposes Ahtisaari as mediator; says Croatia needs to be realistic
Olli Rehn
|
|
|
A relatively insignificant stretch of a few kilometres on a riverside, a handful of small clusters of houses, and an inlet on the Adriatic Sea have combined to form a major obstacle to the continuity of the membership negotiations between Croatia and the European Union.
Nobel Peace Prize winner, former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari has been put forward as a possible mediator in the matter.
Much would seem to depend on Croatia itself. The European Union hopes that the country, which has applied to join the EU, will soon agree to the establishment of an EU mediation group, which would resolve the border dispute with Slovenia, which has lasted for nearly 20 years.
Croatia has promised to give its decision on Monday. Slovenia, for its part, has already given its consent to the establishment of such a group.
“I hope that Croatia will approach this matter realistically, and that it will be ready to support the initiation of mediation, according to the initiative of the European Commission. It is currently the only game that is happening”, said Olli Rehn, the European Commissioner for Enlargement, reached by telephone.
Rehn says that it is hard to see any other ways to resolve the dispute. The countries have tried to divide their water and border areas on many occasions. “It is not easy to find any other functioning road forward.”
The dispute between Slovenia and Croatia involves the division of the Bay of Piran in the Adriatic Sea, as well as small land areas on the rivers Mura and Dragonja.
The contested land areas form a minimal part of the 700 km border between the two countries.
Life at the border continues normally in spite of the dispute. Croats hold property on the Slovenian side and Slovenians have property on the Croatian side, and marriages of Croats and Slovenians are fairly frequent.
The Bay of Piran is the biggest thorn. Slovenia wants the border to be established in such a way as to allow its ships access to international waters on the Adriatic Sea. Croatia, meanwhile, wants half of the inlet for itself.
In previous attempts at a solution, Slovenia’s share of the bay was set at 80 per cent.
Rehn, and all others, fear that Croatia’s EU membership will be postponed if the dispute is not resolved soon.
Croatia has hoped to get its membership negotiations completed this year, and to join the EU in 2011.
The next accession conference is to be held in a couple of weeks. Slovenia has called for postponing the conference.
Other EU member states are reportedly annoyed at Slovenia for slowing down Croatia’s membership talks. Rehn says that the other member states at least support the establishment of a mediation group.
Rehn has proposed Martti Ahtisaari as the head of the mediation group.
However, no guarantees are expected on Ahtisaari’s role as long as the two sides are slow in reaching a decision.
Consequently, Rehn, Ahtisaari, and the EU are waiting.
Slovenia points out that Croatia has unresolved border issues with Bosnia, Montenegro, and Serbia as well. According to Slovenia’s Prime Minister Borut Pahor, these disputes will be difficult to resolve unless the dispute with Slovenia is dealt with first.
Helsingin Sanomat
|
| 9.3.2009 - TODAY |
 Decision expected soon on mediation in Slovenia-Croatia border dispute |
|
