Croatia’s Schengen Accession is Important for Both Countries

The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović held a working meeting with the President of the Republic of Slovenia Borut Pahor, who said that he views the decision of the new Croatian President to come to Slovenia on his first foreign visit as an expression of goodwill and friendship.

In their press statements after the meeting, the two Presidents emphasized a commitment to building friendship between the two nations. They agreed that border arbitration and Croatia’s accession to the Schengen Area were important issues for both countries, and expressed their conviction that Croatia and Slovenia could resolve them as civilized States.

International law is the basis for solving the Croatian-Slovenian border dispute, on which the European Commission and the European Court of Justice (ECJ) have taken positions, President Zoran Milanović remarked after holding talks with his Slovenian counterpart.

He warned that the two countries were “nowhere” in terms of procedure and that it was necessary to see how to proceed. The basis will be “what we agree.” “It is necessary to sit at the table and talk, literally and figuratively, and see how to proceed,” said the Croatian President. He confirmed that Croatia’s accession to the Schengen Area was also discussed.

“Croatia wishes to enter Schengen and it is obvious that Slovenia can benefit the most from that,” said President Milanović. “If Croatia currently was not present on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, it is a question what situation Slovenia would be in in protecting its own border and the external border of Schengen,” he added.

President Milanović said he understood that Slovenia could not ignore the arbitration issue in Piran Bay just like that “because it has been going on too long and it has an emotional element.” He added, however, that there are border disputes in the EU that have lasted since 1815 and “one lives with that.”

“Slovenia is in a position to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ here. The European Commission has assessed that Croatia meets all the technical requirements [for Schengen] and Slovenia now has to see what suits it,” President Milanović remarked.

He reminded that Croatia was criticised in the European Parliament for being rough and too aggressive in protecting its border, adding that there was both truth and exaggeration in that. “But that is a tough job that we will and would, in case we enter the Schengen regime as soon as possible, have to do even more intensively,” President Milanović asserted.

Slovenian President Pahor said the outstanding issues would not be resolved overnight but that they should be approached in the spirit of “mutual respect, good neighbourliness and European values.” He reiterated, however, Slovenia’s position on the need to honour the arbitration award.

“Slovenia considers that the tribunal has delivered a judgment and that it must be honoured,” President Pahor said, adding that resolving outstanding issues was of ‘strategic’ importance for Slovenia, both in terms of security and the economy.

President Pahor directly tied Croatia’s prospective entry to the Schengen Area to the final settlement of the border dispute, i.e. the enforcement of the arbitral tribunal’s 2017 award. “It is in Slovenia’s interest that Schengen expand to Croatia. The element of security is very important for Slovenia. But if a mutual agreement were reached on the arbitral tribunal, this would make it easier for Slovenia to adopt a decision on Croatia’s Schengen accession,” President Pahor emphasized.

Asked what he expected of Slovenia’s new government if Janez Janša became Prime Minister, President Milanović said Janša had been Prime Minister in two terms already. “I am convinced there will be no negative surprises, but there will be a dialogue.”

Both Presidents supported the cooperation of Croatia and Slovenia in the Alpe-Adria and Brdo-Brijuni initiatives, and strongly supported EU enlargement to North Macedonia and Albania. “We support enlargement to those two countries which have been kept on the side for a long time, and keeping them in uncertainty is counterproductive and dangerous,” President Milanović said. He expressed disappointment that they have been treated as “poor, less worthy brothers” although they have met many requirements.

“Let’s be realistic. Some conditions they will never fulfil and cannot fulfil, just as perhaps neither Croatia nor Slovenia ever would. Negotiations should commence with those countries as soon as possible and simultaneously,” President Milanović asserted. The President believes that both Albania and North Macedonia had come far and that perhaps they were even blackmailed a little to change some things, such as their name. “What now? Send the message that it’s not enough? That is not the way to build a common Europe and a common house,” President Milanović concluded.

Asked if the measures Croatia has taken at the border to prevent coronavirus from spreading were excessive, President Milanović said he had noticed backups on the motorway, but noted he believed the Croatian Government was doing what was necessary. “We must take precautions, but without panic,” underscored the Croatian President. President Pahor pointed out that this situation shows that cooperation is necessary because the health of our people is at stake.