In a statement, Van Rompuy congratulated the two countries for signing an agreement aimed at finding a solution to a dispute over money owed by a Slovenian bank to Croatian depositors. The dispute dates back to before the 1991 breakup of Yugoslavia.
Croatia hopes to join the European Union in July 2013 (see background) but can only do so after all current members, including Slovenia, ratify its membership accord.
On 8 March, it was reported that an agreement had been signed in Zagreb by Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić and Slovenian State Secretary Tone Kajzer.
Under the agreement, Zagreb agreed to suspend all legal proceedings against the Slovene bank in return for Ljubljana's commitment to ratify Croatia's accession treaty. Outgoing Slovenian Prime Minsiter Janez Janša said the Slovene parliament would be able to ratify the accession treaty "within 30 days" after signing the deal on Ljubljanska Banka.
Janša resigned on 27 February over a graft case. The leader of the opposition Positive Slovenia Alenka Bratušek is expected to become the country's first female prime minister today.
“Politics is about confronting changes, and European politics is about confronting them together. By choosing the path of dialogue, tenacity and compromise, you have been able to turn the page as Member States of our Union,” Van Rompuy said in a letter sent to the Prime Ministers of Slovenia and Croatia.
Van Rompuy also praised Croatia and Slovenia for having been able to solve the maritime sea border issue. “The way you handle [these issues] serves as an example for the whole region,” Van Rompuy stated.
In January 2012, the then Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor and Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović agreed to appoint judges to arbitrate their border dispute, and accept whatever judgement the panel reached, without the possibility of appeal. The arbitration proceedings are expected to last for several years.
