"The open issues remain open," is what Slovenia’s foreign minister Karl Erjavec said after meeting his Croatian counterpart Miro Kovač. He added that Slovenia would continue to respect the arbitration agreement and expects Croatia to do the same. Kovač repeated that Croatia has withdrawn from the agreement. Kovač added that his expectation was that the two countries would find a bilateral solution to the border dispute. Erjavec refuses to consider any such option.

Despite all that Kovač is convinced that Slovenia and Croatia are two friendly countries and that the border dispute is just one among many aspects in the otherwise rich relationship between the two countries. Both ministers stressed the existing good cooperation between the two countries in business, tourism and culture. They also praised the cooperation in handling the refugee crisis.

Kovač was also received by President Borut Pahor. He also met with the leader of the opposition SDS Janez Janša. As part of his working visit Mr. Kovač was also scheduled to meet Croatian businessmen and representatives of the Croatian community in Slovenia.

L. L.; translated by K. J.