Slovenia's Prime Minister Samuel Zbogar has said it is still too early to say when his country will unblock Croatia's EU accession negotiations in policy chapter 31 -- Foreign, Security and Defence Policy.
"We still have some reservations. We have recently opened two policy chapters that were negotiated for a long time and we are satisfied with the results. Now we are turning our attention to Chapter No. 31. We will see what it contains, which conditions we have transferred to that chapter from other chapters and we'll seek solutions accordingly," Zbogar said on Monday in Brussels where he was attending an EU meeting of foreign ministers.
"It is difficult for me to say today when that chapter will be put on the agenda. It's too early to say when it will be opened," Zbogar told Slovenian reporters in Brussels.
Zbogar gave a vague answer to the question what Slovenia wanted from Croatia when it came to that chapter, which actually does not include the acquis communautaire that should be incorporated into the national legislation.
"That chapter can be broadly interpreted in the area of good neighbourly relations. We have also transferred some requirements from other chapters into that one. Now we should thoroughly consider that chapter. We have not done it so far because we were focused on the two chapters that were unblocked last week," Zbogar said.
Croatia opened negotiating chapters -- Environment and Fisheries-- at an intergovernmental accession conference in Brussels last Friday, after they had been blocked for some time by Slovenia.
On that occasion, Croatia's chief negotiator Vladir Drobnjak said that he could not see any reason for Slovenia to refuse to lift its veto from the Foreign, Security and Defence Policy chapter soon.
"This chapter has no benchmarks to be met for its opening. Croatia has done everything regarding that chapter. Croatia is an active participant in many peace operations, it participates in the common European foreign and security policy, it is a NATO member, considerably contributing to security and stability," said Drobnjak on that occasion.
"Regarding good neighbourly relations with Slovenia, they are improving, which is best evidenced by the signing of the arbitration agreement and its quick ratification. I see no reason why that (chapter) shouldn't be opened soon," he said.
Apart from Chapter 31, Croatia needs to open two more chapters -- Judiciary and Fundamental Rights and Competition Policy, which it expects to open at the next intergovernmental accession conference set for April.
