(ZAGREB) - President Stipe Mesic voiced hope Tuesday that Croatia will soon solve a row with Italy and Slovenia over implementing a protected fishing and ecological zone that prompted EU warnings.

"I expect that we will sit at a table very soon, all three sides, and reach a functional solution which would satisfy both fishermen and the concerned countries," Mesic told national radio.

Brussels on Monday strongly warned Croatia, which is not a member of the European Union, against implementing the zone as it had planned on January 1, 2008.

EU Enlargement Commissioner Oli Rehn said such a move would have "negative consequences" on Croatia's adhesion talks with the 27-nation bloc.

Slovenian Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, whose country takes over the EU presidency on January 1, went even further by threatening to block the talks.

"Given the attitude of the EU which we want to join, it is hard to imagine that the protected zone will be implemented as it is," Mesic said.

The zone covering an area of some 57,000 square kilometres (22,800 square miles) was proclaimed by the Croatian parliament in 2003.

But the following year Zagreb agreed to allow exemptions for Adriatic neighbours Italy and Slovenia until a fishing accord is finalised with the EU.

Italy and Slovenia have proclaimed their ecological zones while Croatia was due to start implementing its own on January 1, 2008.

Croatian fishermen have repeatedly called for the zone to be respected to protect stock in the sea, which they say is being depleted by Italy's larger fishing fleet.

According to Croatian figures, Italy's annual catch is some 200,000 tonnes compared with Croatia's 20,000 tonnes and Slovenia's 2,000.

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