Slovenia decides to sue Croatia for non-compliance with arbitration

LJUBLJANA, (Patria) - Slovenian interim Prime Minister Miro Cerar reiterated his government's stance that Croatia, by not accepting the arbitration ruling on the border dispute, is violating "international and European law", and expressed his expectation that this will be proven in the proceedings that Slovenia will initiate before the European Union court in Luxembourg in a week or two, Slovenian media report.

- We will file a lawsuit against Croatia in a week or two, after the debate before the parliamentary committee for foreign policy - he said in Brussels, where he is participating in the European Council meeting, adding that the arbitration ruling made a year ago is valid and must be implemented.

The arbitration ruling on the border is valid under international law and must be implemented. If we succeed in proving in the EU court that by not respecting the ruling, Croatia is also violating EU law, which I am convinced of, then it means that Croatia is not only violating international but also European law, Cerar added.

Cerar emphasized that he is convinced of the impartiality of the EU court in this case, but stated that, regardless of the final outcome of the future EU court ruling, Croatia, by not applying the arbitration solution, is violating international law and should accept and implement it, Hina reports.

- We will file a lawsuit against Croatia for violating the European legal order, that is the purpose of this lawsuit, but regardless of its outcome, the arbitration ruling remains in force - said the Slovenian Prime Minister.

He added that on Sunday, at an informal EU summit dedicated to migration, he spoke about arbitration with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, and criticized the neutral stance of the European Commission in the Slovenian-Croatian arbitration dispute, saying that Juncker himself felt uncomfortable because of it.