The European Commission welcomes the launching of the border arbitration process between Croatia and Slovenia and is pleased that the two countries' governments have agreed on the appointment of the president and two members of the arbitral tribunal, Enlargement Commissioner Stefan Fuele said on Tuesday.
"A common agreement would be a positive political signal for the further development of the good neighbourly relations between the two countries as well as for the Western Balkans regions showing how difficult issues could be solved," Fuele said in a press release congratulating Croatia and Slovenia.
Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic and Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said in Zagreb today that Croatia and Slovenia had agreed on the appointment of the president and two judges of the arbitral tribunal.
The two governments have agreed that Gilbert Guillaume of France will be the president of the tribunal and Bruno Simma of Germany and Vaughan Lowe of the UK two of the five arbiters.
Under an arbitration agreement, the Slovenian-Croatian border should be determined by five arbiters. The two countries each appointed one, while the remaining three were to be appointed by common agreement from a list provided by the EC.
