The Croatian Parliament on Friday unanimously adopted a declaration concerning the border dispute with Slovenia, expressing disagreement with the wording of a declaration on the protection of Slovenia's national interests in the process of Croatia's NATO admission, which the Slovene Parliament adopted two days ago.

In the declaration adopted today, the Croatian Parliament dismissed such an attempt by Slovenia to prejudge the state border.

"The Croatian Parliament holds as unacceptable the wording of the declaration adopted by the Slovene Parliament by which this highest legislative body of the Republic of Slovenia demonstrated an attempt to prejudge the border on the left bank of the Dragonja River and the left bank of the Mura River, the territory which on 25 June 1991 was without a question under the sovereign authority of Croatia, as well as the sea territory in Savudrija Bay/Piran Bay, which on 25 June 1991 did not fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of Slovenia nor did Slovenia have direct access to international waters. The Croatian Parliament dismisses such an attempt to prejudge the state border," said the declaration adopted today.

The Croatian Parliament believes that the Slovene declaration sets a precedent in the history of the admission of new members to the North Atlantic Alliance, as well as to the European Union, which, according to Croatian deputies, could produce unwanted consequences in future enlargement processes, namely in the admission of new member states.

The Croatian Parliament said in its declaration that recent developments once again confirmed that the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the highest U.N. judicial body, is the best choice for a peaceful solution of border disputes.

The Croatian Parliament called on Slovenia to honour the agreement the two countries' prime ministers reached in Bled in 2007 to settle the border dispute before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The Croatian Parliament stresses that it adopted the declaration on the border dispute with Slovenia based on Croatia's fundamental principle to settle outstanding issues with its neighbours in the European spirit and the spirit of good neighbourliness, in an attempt to find an acceptable solution founded on international law.

The Croatian Parliament said the declaration adopted today confirmed Croatia's commitment to the rule of law as one of the fundamental principles of the EU and NATO, adding that the document was adopted on the basis of the EU's negotiating framework for Croatia which instructs (the country) to approach a peaceful settlement of disputes, including the settlement of the border issue before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

The Croatian Parliament recalls that Croatia supported Slovenia's admission to NATO and the EU with the same border the two countries have today.

The adopted declaration will be published in the National Gazette.