Prime Minister Milanovic: Croatia is withdrawing from arbitration

Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic announced that Croatia is withdrawing from the arbitration on the border with Slovenia, because the arbitration process has been contaminated, adding that this would not affect relations between the two countries

"Croatia cannot remain in this arbitration," said Milanovic after the meeting, underscoring that the chairs of parliamentary groups all thought the same about the issue.

We have to terminate the arbitration agreement and immediately suspend it, the prime minister underscored, adding that Croatia would observe international law in dealing with the matter.

"And that will be the government's proposal to parliament, for parliament to oblige us to act that way. I expect a lot of support, I won't say it will be unanimous but I hope for unanimity," said Milanovic, reiterating several times that the arbitration procedure with Slovenia had been contaminated.

A scandal broke out last Wednesday when the Zagreb-based Vecernji List daily published transcripts revealing that a Slovenian judge sitting on the arbitration tribunal and a Slovenian Foreign Ministry official had secretly discussed the case and lobbied other judges to influence the outcome of the arbitration in Slovenia's favour.

What has occurred is unsustainable and Croatia is withdrawing from the agreement but according to relatively precise rules set out by international law that Croatia will respect, he said.

The government and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs will conduct the procedure and Milanovic reiterated that he expected parliament to give its "unanimous support to approach that procedure."

"To ratify the termination of the agreement and as far as Croatia is concerned, and to immediately proclaim its suspension and withdraw the arbitrator that Croatia appointed to the arbitration council," he explained.

He confirmed that considering the time frame for each decision, the entire procedure could last at least a year and a half.

"This is the procedure and we will adhere to it because we abide by international law, however, that does not mean that we will not consider the agreement immediately suspended and that we will not act accordingly. We will," he said.

He did not wish to comment on any questions by reporters concerning the Slovenian government's activities with reference to the matter, nor did he wish to comment on Slovenia's claims that Croatia had been spying or whether he had contacted his Slovenian counterpart Miro Cerar.

During the press conference, news was received that Slovenia's Prime Minister Cerar had just announced that Croatia could not unilaterally pull out of the arbitration agreement and when Milanovic was asked to comment the news, he said, "It can and will. Unfortunately, this is how it is. It can and will."

Milanovic believes that Croatia's withdrawal from the arbitration will not negatively impact Croatian-Slovenian relations.

"I know that I may sound unconvincing, but I truly believe it won't. We are a member of the European Union. A serious incident has occurred and we have to withdraw. There is no other option. We cannot act in this sort of arrangement any longer," he said.

An error has occurred in the procedure which practically annuls that procedure, the prime minister explained, adding that this was not something to exult over because, he stressed, Croatia still has not resolved its demarcation with Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

"That concerns me as Croatian prime minister," he added.

He pointed out that a situation of this nature had never occurred between sovereign states in the history of arbitration and so there is no "collective memory or knowledge of what will happen next."

"We are here, sharing a common future with regard to migration and border controls. The problem Slovenia is faced with today, as the exterior Schengen border, will become Croatia's problem tomorrow and we are preparing for that," said Milanovic, adding that it was in mutual interest for the two countries to cooperate.

The meeting took place ahead of an extraordinary session of parliament which will convene on Wednesday and Thursday, at the government's proposal, to discuss the latest events.

(Text: Hina)

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