Slovenia warns Croatia of stalled EU membership talks

BELGRADE, Dec. 17 (Chinese media) -- Slovenia warned Croatia on Wednesday of possible stalled membership talks with the European Union due to the bilateral border dispute.

"We are reserved about seven (negotiation) chapters because the Croatian government submitted to the European Commission documentation which prejudges the border," Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor said after he met with the leaders of political parties in the capital Ljubljana.

Slovenia and Croatia, which are geographic neighbors and former Yugoslav republics, have not been able to completely draw their land and sea borders since their independence in 1991.

Pahor said that Slovenia has reservations about another four chapters for other reasons.

He said that Slovenia would consent to the opening of one and closing of three policy chapters as Croatia and the European Union hold the next round of accession conference in Brussels on Friday.

Croatia was hoping to open 10 new negotiating chapters on Friday. Since the launch of membership talks in late 2005, Croatia has opened 21 of the 35 policy chapters it is required to negotiate with the 27-country bloc. Croatia hopes to wrap up technical negotiations on all 35 chapters by the end of 2009.

Pahor voiced hope about meeting Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader after Friday's accession conference, namely as early as next week.

He said Slovenia still supported Croatia's accession to the EU, and was hopeful that progress would be reached on the contentious issues during the Czech presidency of the EU in the first half of 2009.

The main problem for Slovenia, said Pahor, is how to get the right legal and political guarantees that Croatia's negotiating documents will not prejudge the land and sea border.

Pahor said he agreed with the political parties that his cabinet would put to parliament a document on Slovenia's positions on the settlement of border issues with Croatia.

After the meeting, the presidents of all Slovenian parliamentary parties supported Pahor's positions and agreed that Slovenia must protect its interests in the EU.

Slovenia, which joined the EU in May 2004, is the first former Yugoslav republic to join the bloc. The other former Yugoslav republics are in different stages of EU membership talks.