Croatia–Slovenia Relations
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The foreign relations between
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
and
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
are bound together by shared geopolitical and cultural history,
ethnogenesis Ethnogenesis (; ) is the formation and development of an ethnic group. This can originate by group self-identification or by outside identification. The term ''ethnogenesis'' was originally a mid-19th-century neologism that was later introduce ...
and
ethnolinguistics Ethnolinguistics (sometimes called cultural linguistics) is an area of anthropological linguistics that studies the relationship between a language or group of languages and the cultural practices of the people who speak those languages. It exam ...
, geography as well as shared modern political ideologies and geopolitical alignment. Both states established diplomatic relations in 1992, following the
dissolution of Yugoslavia After a period of political and economic crisis in the 1980s, the constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia split apart in the early 1990s. Unresolved issues from the breakup caused a series of inter-ethnic Yugoslav ...
and the
independence of Croatia The independence of Croatia was a process started with the changes in the political system and the constitutional changes in 1990 that transformed the Socialist Republic of Croatia into the Republic of Croatia, which in turn proclaimed the Chr ...
. The two states have disputes over their border and sovereign rights over certain nuclear and economic assets. The countries share of common border. They are perennially each other's largest trading partners on an import-export basis. The break-up of
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
and the
Yugoslav Wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place from 1991 to 2001 in what had been the Socialist Federal Republic of ...
led to contested succession issues between the two states, mostly around maritime and territorial border disputes. As Slovenia acceded to the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
(EU) in 2004, it leveraged this position to blockade Croatia's candidacy in 2013 to join the EU in order to settle some of these disputes. The two states allowed the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
to successfully arbitrate which saw to Croatia's membership in the EU that year. Both are military allies and members of
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
. Croatia has an embassy in
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
and two honorary consulates in
Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...
and
Koper Koper (; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fifth-largest city in Slovenia. Located in the Slovenian Istria, Istrian region in the southwestern part of the country, Koper is the main urban center of the Slovene coast. Port of Koper i ...
. Slovenia has an embassy in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and an honorary consulate in
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
.


History

Before 1991, both countries were part of
Yugoslavia , common_name = Yugoslavia , life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation , p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia , flag_p ...
. On June 26, 1991, a mutual recognition agreement was signed by both countries. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established on February 6, 1992. In a series of high-level meetings since the latter half of 1998, Slovenia and Croatia have been engaged in settling bilateral differences, a process which accelerated after the death of Croatian President Franjo Tuđman in 1999. In 2004, Slovenia joined the European Union, along with a handful of other countries. As Slovenia acceded to the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
(EU) in 2004, it leveraged this position to blockade Croatia's candidacy in 2013 to join the EU in order to settle some of these disputes. The two states allowed the
European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the primary Executive (government), executive arm of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with a number of European Commissioner, members of the Commission (directorial system, informall ...
to successfully arbitrate which saw to Croatia's membership in the EU and
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
that year. On 3 March 2013, Croatia and Slovenia reached an agreement on
Ljubljanska banka Ljubljanska Banka () was a bank in Yugoslavia, named after and based in Ljubljana and founded in 1955. In the aftermath of the independence of Slovenia in 1991, it encountered financial distress. It was liquidated in 1994 and its operations were ...
. A month after that, the Parliament of Slovenia unanimously ratified the Croatian accession treaty. Croatia joined
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
in
2009 2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
. Slovenia joined
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
in 2004. Croatia joined the EU in
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
. Slovenia joined the EU in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
.


Issues of contention


Border disputes

The border disputes between the two states concern: * the division of former Yugoslav territorial waters, particularly in the
Gulf of Piran The Gulf of Piran or Piran Bay (, or , ) is located in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, and is a part of the southernmost tip of the Gulf of Trieste. Overview It was named after the town of Piran, and its shores are shared by Croatia and ...
; * the hamlets of Bužini, Mlini, Škodelini and Škrile located to the south of river
Dragonja The Dragonja (; ) is a long river in the northern part of the Istrian peninsula. It is a meandering river with a very branched basin and a small quantity of water. It has a pluvial regime and often dries up in summer. It features very diverse ...
in
Istria Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; ; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian: ; ; ) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. Located at th ...
, which were administered by Croatia from 1954, after the river was re-routed, and which Slovenia claims as part of cadaster municipality Sečovlje; * the
Sveta Gera Saint Gera ( Croatian: "Sveta Gera") or Trdina Peak () is the highest peak of the Žumberak Mountains, at a height of . It is located along the border between southeastern Slovenia and Croatia, and the summit is subject to a border dispute betwe ...
(Trdina Peak) in the
Žumberak Mountains The Žumberak Mountains (, , historic German name: ) is a range of hills and mountains in northwestern Croatia and southeastern Slovenia, extending from the southwest to the northeast between the Krka and the Kupa. It covers an area of . The g ...
, with the
Slovenian Army The Slovenian Ground Force is the primary component of Slovenian Armed Forces. History The current Slovenian Armed Forces are descended from the Territorial Defense of the Republic of Slovenia (''Teritorialna Obramba Republike Slovenije''; ''T ...
occupying barracks that according to the Croatian side lay partially in Croatian territory; * the changing meanders of the river Mura, near Hotiza and Sveti Martin na Muri, where the situation in nature differs from the descriptions in official maps and documents. Slovenia claims that the maritime border in
Piran Bay The Gulf of Piran or Piran Bay (, or , ) is located in the northern part of the Adriatic Sea, and is a part of the southernmost tip of the Gulf of Trieste. Overview It was named after the town of Piran, and its shores are shared by Croatia and ...
does not go through the middle of the bay, while Croatia claims it does. This is causing problems for fishermen due to there being an undefined area where the naval police of each country may patrol. Related to the border in Piran Bay is Slovenian access to international waters in the form of a corridor which would require Croatia to cede its exclusive rights over at least some of its territorial waters to the west of
Umag Umag (; ; ) is a coastal town in Istria, Croatia. Its patron saint is Peregrine (martyr), St. Peregrine. Geography It is the westernmost town of Croatia, and it includes Bašanija, the westernmost point of Croatia. Demographics According to the ...
. The disputed Dragonja area is located near the Sečovlje-Plovanija official border crossing point, set up by an interim agreement of the two countries in the 1990s. A
referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
regarding the ratification of the agreement on the arbitration between Slovenia and Croatia regarding the Gulf of Piran border dispute was held in Slovenia in June 2010. Croatia and Slovenia agreed to let outside arbitrators come up with a plan to divide the Gulf in 2009 in the hopes of finding a resolution to the dispute and easing Croatia's entry to the Union. Though the parliaments in both Croatia and Slovenia ratified the agreement, the Slovene parliament additionally voted to require a public referendum on the deal. The agreement was supported by 51.54% of voters and opposed by 48.46% of voters. In October 2010, the Slovenian law on the ratification of the agreement was also unanimously recognized by the Slovenian Constitutional Court as being in accordance with the
Constitution of Slovenia The Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia () is the constitution, fundamental law of the Slovenia, Republic of Slovenia. Writing and amendments Preparation of the document began in August 1987 in the Slovene Writers' Association which publishe ...
. The
diplomatic note Diplomatics (in American English, and in most anglophone countries), or diplomatic (in British English), is a scholarly discipline centred on the critical analysis of documents, especially historical documents. It focuses on the conventions, pr ...
s about the agreement were exchanged between the
Government of Slovenia The Government of the Republic of Slovenia () exercises executive (government), executive authority in Slovenia pursuant to the Constitution of Slovenia, Constitution and the laws of Slovenia. It is also the highest administrative authority in Slo ...
and
Government of Croatia The Government of Croatia (), formally the Government of the Republic of Croatia (), commonly abbreviated to Croatian Government (), is the main executive branch of government in Croatia. It is led by the Prime Minister of Croatia, president o ...
on November 25, 2010. The agreement came into force on November 29, 2010.


Exclusive economic zone in the Adriatic Sea

A disputed issue with Croatia was Slovenian and Italian opposition to the proclamation of the Croatian Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (Exclusive Economic Zone) in the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Se ...
. Slovenia is disputing this, requiring direct access to the international waters. This policy has been in place since late 2004 but excludes the EU countries (namely, Slovenia and Italy). In the negotiations with the European Union, it was decided that Croatia can proclaim an ecological protection zone for third countries, but not also for the countries of the European Union. About 40% of all the catchment of Slovenian fishermen originates from the zone.


Ljubljana Bank

Another open issue is the financial compensation for the Croatian depositors who lost their savings in the liquidation of the Slovenian-based Yugoslav bank Ljubljana Bank. During
SFRY The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...
, the said bank had a branch in
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
. In December 1991, Croatian authorities allowed the transfer of two thirds of the foreign-currency debt of the Zagreb branch of Ljubljana Bank to a number of Croatian banks. However, some 132,000 clients kept their savings in Ljubljana bank. By 1994, the Slovenian Parliament formed
Nova Ljubljanska Banka NLB Group is the largest banking and financial group in Slovenia, with the core of its activity being in Southeast Europe. NLB has been designated as a Significant Institution since the entry into force of European Banking Supervision in late 201 ...
with the old bank's assets but none of its debts. In 1995, the Croatian bank
Privredna banka Zagreb Privredna banka Zagreb (PBZ) is a Croatian bank A bank is a financial institution that accepts Deposit account, deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly per ...
filed a lawsuit against Ljubljana Bank, after the Croatian Ministry of Finance authorized it to do so. In 1997 the Slovenian parliament halted all lawsuits against Ljubljana Bank by foreign citizens. In 2001, the Ministry of Finance extended the lawsuit authorization to
Zagrebačka banka Zagrebačka banka d.d. is the largest bank in Croatia, owned by Milan-based UniCredit. Overview Zagrebačka banka was formed in 1977, intended to provide loans for local companies, taking over some former assets and operations including from th ...
. The two countries signed the 2001 Agreement on Succession Issues, dealing with the succession negotiations after the break-up of Yugoslavia. In 2002, succession negotiations were hosted by the
Bank of International Settlements The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) is an international financial institution which is owned by member central banks. Its primary goal is to foster international monetary and financial cooperation while serving as a bank for central bank ...
in Basel, but Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina rejected the proposed model in which they would have to reimburse the depositors. The negotiations stalled after that. In 2010, after the Kosor–Pahor agreement, the Croatian side had reportedly agreed to the Slovenian position, which was a precondition for Croatia to close the negotiations with the EU regarding Chapter 4 of the
Acquis The Community acquis or ''acquis communautaire'' (; ), sometimes called the EU acquis, and often shortened to acquis, is the accumulated legislation, legal acts and court decisions that constitute the body of European Union law that came into ...
on the free movement of capital. The Slovenian position has been that the compensation is a succession issue. Slovenia also made it their condition for the acceptance of Croatia to the European Union, most recently in July and September 2012. In April 2012 Croatia passed a conclusion according to which this is only a dispute between the bank and its Croatian savers and should be resolved in courts. The European Commission considers this to be a
bilateral Bilateral may refer to any concept including two sides, in particular: *Bilateria, bilateral animals *Bilateralism, the political and cultural relations between two states *Bilateral, occurring on both sides of an organism ( Anatomical terms of l ...
issue. On 6 November 2012, the
European Court of Human Rights The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR), also known as the Strasbourg Court, is an international court of the Council of Europe which interprets the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). The court hears applications alleging that a co ...
delivered a first-degree verdict in the case of Ališić and Others v. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and the “Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, finding Slovenia in violation of the
European Convention on Human Rights The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR; formally the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms) is a Supranational law, supranational convention to protect human rights and political freedoms in Europe. Draf ...
and ordering it to compensate "the applicants and all others in their position" (individual Ljubljana Bank savers). In Croatia, some interpreted this as a precedent for the diplomatic issue, but Slovenian Foreign Minister Erjavec released a statement saying this is a separate issue from the diplomatic issue, rather that the latter was about "transferred debt". On February 7, 2013, Croatian and Slovenian Foreign Ministers said they had solved the problem of the former Ljubljana Bank, which was threatening to impede Croatia's EU accession in July.


Krško Nuclear Power Plant

The two countries' national power companies jointly manage the
Krško Nuclear Power Plant The Krško Nuclear Power Plant (, JEK, or , NEK, ; ) is located in Vrbina in the City Municipality of Krško, Slovenia. The plant was connected to the power grid on October 2, 1981, and went into commercial operation on January 15, 1983. It was ...
. They have had various issues, particularly between 1997 and 2001.


The European Union and NATO

Croatia joined the
European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...
(EU) in
2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
. Slovenia joined the European Union (EU) in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
. Croatia joined
NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
in 2009. Slovenia joined NATO in 2004.


Embassies

;Republic of Croatia *
Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...
(Embassy) ;Republic of Slovenia *
Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
(Embassy)


See also

*
Foreign relations of Croatia The foreign relations of Croatia are primarily formulated and executed via Government of Croatia, its government which guides the state's interactions with other nations, their citizens, and foreign organizations. Active in global affairs since ...
*
Foreign relations of Slovenia Since Slovenia declared independence in 1991, its Government of Slovenia, Governments have underscored their commitment to improving cooperation with neighbouring countries and actively contributing to international efforts aimed at bringing stab ...
*
Croatia–Slovenia border disputes Following the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991, Slovenia and Croatia became independent countries. As the border between the countries had not been determined in detail prior to independence, several parts of the border were disputed, both on lan ...
*
Croats of Slovenia The Croats are an ethnic group in Slovenia. In the 2002 census 35,642 citizens of Slovenia identified themselves as Croats while around 54,000 people declared Croatian as their mother tongue, making them second most-populous non-Slovene ethnic grou ...
*
Slovenes of Croatia Slovenes of Croatia (, ) are one of 22 national minorities in Croatia. According to 2011 census, there were 10,517 Slovenes in Croatia, with majority (approximately 60%) living in only three counties Istria County, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County a ...
*
Serbia–Slovenia relations Serbia and Slovenia maintain diplomatic relations established between Slovenia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (of which Serbia is considered sole legal successor) in 2000. History Serbia and Slovenia have a long history of relations, w ...


References


External links


Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration: list of bilateral treaties with Slovenia

Croatian embassy in Ljubljana
{{DEFAULTSORT:Croatia-Slovenia relations
Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
Bilateral relations of Slovenia