The publication of phone conversations between a Slovenian member of the arbitration tribunal and Simona Drenik from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will not influence the court's final decision, says minister Karl Erjavec.

The arbitration procedure deals with the border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia. The two countries have failed to reach a bilateral agreement on the issue, and have thus turned to the Permanent Court of Arbitration to make a final ruling on the matter.

Slovenia's Foreign Minister, Karl Erjavec, has returned early from vacation. He assured that he had never spoken to Mr. Sekolec, who is a Slovenian judge on the arbitration panel. According to Erjavec, the whole story is pure nonsense and part of Croatia's pre-election campaign. He added that the Croatian's were obviously getting very nervous.

Croatian daily »Večernji list« wrote that it had obtained transcripts of phone conversations between the Slovenian member of the arbitration tribunal, Jernej Sekolec, and the Slovenian agent at the arbitration tribunal in The Hague, Simona Drenik, dating November 5th, 2014, and January 11th this year. In the conversations Sekolec informed Drenik that the president of the Permanent Court of Arbitration said that Slovenia would get what it wanted regarding the sea border i.e. at least two thirds of the Gulf of Piran. At the same time Sekolec reportedly also discussed a strategy with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on how to influence the other members of the arbitration panel.

Upon the publication of the conversations between the Slovenian member of the arbitration tribunal, Jernej Sekolec and agent Simona Drenik, FM Karl Erjavec said he would first study the details, conduct talks within the ministry, listen to the recordings and only then comment on the issue, once he returns from holiday.

According to Erjavec, it is the court itself which will decide in the end whether there has been a case of judge partiality. "If there has been no such thing, it will have no influence on the final ruling," said Erjavec. He added that in his opinion, the matter will not influence the arbitration process.

The worst possible outcome, if the recordings prove to be authentic, would be the exclusion of the judge "as they cannot change the arguments and facts and cannot repeal the court's decision," finished the minister.

The cabinet of Slovenia's PM Miro Cerar informs that Mr. Cerar does not wish to comment the allegations in Croatia’s media until the procedure has ended i.e. until the announcement of the final ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. His cabinet added that the PM is of the opinion, that we are dealing with a premeditated attempt to influence the final ruling of the arbitration tribunal.