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Croatian president hails Slovenian backing of border deal

07 June 2010, 10:49 CET
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Croatian president hails Slovenian backing of border deal

Ivo Josipovic - Photo EC

(ZAGREB) - Croat President Ivo Josipovic on Sunday hailed the outcome of a referendum in Slovenia backing a deal to resolve a border dispute between the two countries via arbitration, a move boosting Zagreb's EU bid.

"The success of the referendum on arbitration is an important victory for Slovenia, Croatia and Europe," a statement from Josipovic's office said.

Apart from improving friendly ties between the two countries, the result "enables Croatia to conclude (EU) accession talks without the burden of the border problem that will be solved through arbitration," it said.

"It is a contribution to a concept of EU enlargment that includes Croatia and in the future all countries of southeastern Europe."

Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor was on Monday to give a statement regarding the result of the referendum.

With over 99 percent of the votes counted, 51.48 percent of Slovenians were in favour and 48.52 percent against referring to arbitration the dispute over a small wedge of Adriatic Sea coastline.

Turnout was over 42.28 percent of the 1.7 million eligible voters.

Ljubljana and Zagreb have been squabbling since the breakup of Yugoslavia nearly two decades ago over 13 square kilometres (five square miles) of largely uninhabited land and a wedge of territorial water in and around Piran Bay.

Slovenia, which has just 46 kilometres (29 miles) of coastline, sees its access to international waters at stake because Croatia, whose huge Adriatic coast stretches for 1,700 kilometres, wants the border to be drawn down the middle of the bay.

Slovenia, that joined EU in 2004, vetoed between 2008 and 2009 Croatia's bid to become the bloc's 28th member, fearing that Zagreb's membership application would tacitly recognise Croatia's definition of its borders.

The arbitration deal, backed by the EU, was reached by the two governments last November and both countries' parliaments approved the solution, but Slovenia decided to put it to a popular referendum as well.


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