Croatia admits Slovenia veto could hold up entry to EU
(BRUSSELS) - Prime Minister Ivo Sanader on Thursday conceded that negotiations on Croatia's entry to the European Union might not be concluded this year as hoped due to a Slovenian veto.
"I am sure if Slovenia unblocks the negotiations, we could finish the negotiations by the end of the year, or let's say a couple of months late and all the process could be finished by the end of 2010," he said.
An 18-year-old border dispute has blocked Croatia's EU membership talks since last December, with Slovenia demanding it be resolved before the accession talks resume.
The row involves a small piece of land and sea and dates back to 1991, when both countries proclaimed independence from the former Yugoslavia.
Croatian and Slovenian ministers and Englargement Commissioner Olli Rehn were on Thursday again trying in Brussels to reach an agreement.
Diplomatic sources, however, held out little hope of a compromise being reached.
Text and Picture Copyright 2009 AFP. All other Copyright 2009 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.
