We welcome the news from Ljubljana and Zagreb that a solution to the Ljubljanska Banka issue has been found. Commissioner Stefan Fuele considers this a good deal for both countries and a good deal for EU enlargement. This is also a good example of how joint efforts in neighbourly relations are beneficial to both countries and provide the foundation for the solving of outstanding issues. The agreement to resolve the Ljubljanska Banka issue is the culmination of efforts invested by both sides and we congratulate both Croatia and Slovenia on their readiness and determination to resolve this issue and we are looking forward to the formal adoption of the agreement on Monday, Stano said.

Croatia's First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Vesna Pusic, and Slovenian State Secretary Tone Kajzer on Thursday initialled a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Croatia and Slovenia which resolves the issue of the now defunct Slovenian bank Ljubljanska Banka and paves the way for Slovenia to ratify Croatia's EU accession treaty.

The MoA provides that the bank issue will be dealt with as part of negotiations on succession to the former Yugoslavia, court suits initiated by Croatian banks over transferred savings will be suspended and the Slovenian government will immediately launch parliamentary procedure to ratify Croatia's EU accession treaty.

The memorandum will be signed by the two countries' prime ministers in Mokrice, Slovenia on Monday.