Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa, whose government continues to perform caretaker duties even until a new government is sworn in, said on Friday he had a feeling that Croatia was "losing enthusiasm" for an agreement about the issue of the now defunct Ljubljanska Banka (LB), and that one could say that Zagreb was waiting for a new Slovenian government to step into office.
Jansa told Slovenian Television that March 10 as the date for his meeting with Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic was only a framework date and that the talks with Milanovic would make sense only if an agreement on the LB issue is harmonised by then.
Asked about the preparations for that meeting, Jansa said he had a feeling that Croatia was losing enthusiasm and that it was possible that Zagreb was waiting for a new Slovenian government to step into office.
Slovenia is the only EU member country that has not yet launched the ratification of Croatia's EU accession treaty. Ljubljana made the ratification Croatia's treaty conditional on resolving the LB issue.
The Slovenian Parliament on Wednesday evening ousted the coalition government led by Jansa, and appointed Alenka Bratusek as prime minister-designate in a 55-33 vote.
Bratusek said that ratification of Croatia's Treaty of Accession with the European Union was Slovenia's strategic interest. "The ratification of Croatia's EU accession treaty is not only the issue of good neighbourly relations with Croatia, but it is also Slovenia's strategic interest."
Bratusek will now have 15 days to propose a cabinet to the National Parliament, a deadline that can be extended once at her request.
