Croat parliament approves Slovenia border deal

(ZAGREB) - The Croat parliament on Monday gave the government the green light to sign an agreement with Slovenia to solve a border dispute that held up Zagreb's bid to join the European Union.

A total of 80 deputies of those present in the 153-seat assembly backed the deal according to which the two countries are to solve the row before an arbitration tribunal. Eight MPs voted against it while 45 abstained.

The vote followed vigorous debate in parliament amid criticism from most opposition parties which claim that in its present form the agreement could be harmful to Croatia's interests.

It was slammed earlier by the powerful Catholic Church that accused the government of "irresponsibly playing with national territory" in exchange for EU membership.

"I want to say loud and clearly that with this agreement Croatia is not giving up its territory," Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor told the lawmakers before the vote.

"Croatia is agreeing on solving the row before an arbitration tribunal," she said stressing the deal was "not mentioning a final solution."

Once the governments of the two countries sign the deal it has to be ratified by both parliaments.

Croatia resumed its EU membership talks in October after Slovenia, an EU member, ended a 10-month block of the negotiations because of the border dispute.

The row involving a small piece of land and sea dates back to 1991, when both countries proclaimed independence from the former Yugoslavia.

Slovenia joined the EU in 2004 while Croatia is hoping to become the bloc's 28th member by 2011.