Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor has called on Slovenians to support the Croatian-Slovenian border arbitration agreement in a referendum set for June 6 and thus dismiss claims by the Opposition that the agreement should be rejected because it is detrimental to Slovenia's interests.
"The agreement contains elements that will make it possible to determine a just border and Slovenia's junction to the high seas. If we fail to support it, we will miss the chance to get what we have been losing slowly but steadily since 25 June 1991," Pahor said in a speech at an event marking Europe Day in Ljubljana on Sunday.
The Slovenian government has called on Slovenians to support the border arbitration agreement in the June 6 referendum, while opposition parties claim that the agreement should be rejected and that Slovenia would benefit more from the status quo on the border because international arbitration would only help it get the so-called innocent passage to the high seas, but not territorial access.
The government dismisses these claims, saying that maintaining the current situation on the border is detrimental to Slovenia because in time it will allow Croatia to cement the current situation which is factually different than the situation at the time when the two countries gained independence, which will be the main criterion for arbitrators.
"We now have the chance to gain friendship and alliance and to realise that we can cooperate with all four neighbouring countries, to seek solidarity and find what we have in common. That is the essence of the European idea," Pahor said, calling on Slovenians to support the border arbitration deal in the referendum.
