"Cooperation is a good thing, but I have to say that I was surprised to hear about it because Slovenia already has an agreement within NATO on the protection of its air space, and I don't see why any change would be required. I believe the two prime ministers will clarify their statements and that those proposals will be discussed some more," said Tuerk.

President Josipovic said that Croatia and Slovenia controlling their air space together "is one of the solutions to the two countries' problems". The matter should be discussed by "appropriate departments", he said.

Croatian PM Jadranka Kosor and her Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor met in Lovranska Draga, Croatia, on Saturday and discussed, among other things, the possibility of joint control of Croatia's and Slovenia's air space.

Asked by reporters why the two countries had still not exchanged diplomatic notes on the ratification of their agreement on international arbitration in their border dispute, which would make the agreement an internationally legally valid document, Tuerk and Josipovic said that it was a "technical matter".

Commenting on the issue of Ljubljanska Banka, the now defunct Slovenian bank that owes money to its Croatian depositors, Tuerk said that "a framework has been defined to deal with that issue" and that particulars of the process were up to the two governments.

As for a forthcoming European Union progress report on Croatia, due in two weeks, Josipovic said that he expected a positive outcome.

"I hope that (Croatia's) progress will be acknowledged," Josipovic said.

The two presidents described relations between their countries as very good, calling for the creation of conditions to deal with concrete problems of ordinary people.

Josipovic and Tuerk were named honorary ambassadors at the ILH congress, held under the slogan "Children of the World of Wounded Childhood", for their contribution to the promotion of peace and protection of children's rights.