Republic of Slovenia - Republic of Croatia

The Republic of Slovenia (RS) and the Republic of Croatia (RH) have developed good, friendly and all-round relations since establishing diplomatic relations on 6 February 1992, although the disintegration of the former common state and the declaration of Slovenia's independence and sovereignty on 25 June 1991 raised a range of complex and demanding questions.

There are frequent meetings on the highest level between the two countries, such as the visit of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Milan Kucan, to the Republic of Croatia in November 2001.

According to data from the Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, Croatia was our third most important export market in 2001 (799 million USD), and in terms of imports, out fifth foreign trade partner (403 million USD). In comparison with the year 2000, Slovene exports to Croatia increased by 16.1%, while imports fell by 9.8%. According to data from the Bank of Slovenia, the largest share of Slovene direct investment abroad (45%) is precisely in Croatia. On 31 December 2000, Slovene direct investment in Croatia amounted to 357.7 million USD. On 31 December 2000, Croatian companies had 48 million USD direct investments in Slovenia. In 2001, according to provisional data, Slovenia made approximately 40 million USD new investments in Croatia.

In the decade of their existence, the two countries have resolved many questions. Overall relations in all areas of co-operation have been emphasised, which is reflected in the signing of 35 bilateral agreements, of which 30 have taken effect, and a number of new ones are in preparation.

Among the more important agreements, it is worth mentioning the Treaty on the Regulation of Property Relations, which took effect on 23 February 2000. With its entry into force, one of the principal questions of the protection of property rights of both natural and legal persons of one of the countries on the territory of the other is regulated on an equal basis between the two countries. The Agreement regulates real estate issues related to property acquired before the independence of the two countries, which had not been regulated until the conclusion of the aforementioned Agreement.

In 1997, a Free Trade Agreement between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia was signed, which took effect on 1 October 2001, although it had already been provisionally applied since January 1998. The Agreement provides a framework for economic co-operation and makes an important contribution to the liberalisation of trade between the two countries.

In 2001, the two countries conducted accelerated and intensive dialogue on remaining open questions, above all the question of ascertaining and defining the inter-state border. Dialogue and negotiations have taken place on the levels of prime ministers, ministers and expert negotiating groups of the two countries. On 19 July 2001, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia adopted an initiative for concluding a Treaty between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia on Common State Borders, with the draft Treaty. The Government of the Republic of Croatia also did this on the same day. The Committee of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia for foreign policy discussed the aforementioned initiative at its 14th extraordinary session, on 25 July 2001, and agreed with it.

On 19 July 2001, the Governments of the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia also confirmed the draft of an inter-state Treaty on the Arrangement of the Status and Other Legal Relations Connected with Investment in the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant (NEK), Its Exploitation and Deconstruction. The Treaty was signed on 19 December 2001. The coming into force of the Treaty will mean the end of a number of year's efforts to arrange, in the new circumstances of independent Republic of Slovenia and Republic of Croatia, the manner of joint exploitation of the productive capacities of NEK, which was constructed in the seventies as a joint investment of the power supply companies of the two republics of the former common state.

A Succession Agreement, which all state successors of SFRY concluded, was signed in Vienna on 29 June 2001. The question of taking over guarantees for the foreign exchange deposits of citizens will be resolved in compliance with the provisions of the Succession Agreement, in the framework of the Basel Bank for International Settlements.

On 5th September 2001, the Agreement between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia on Border Traffic and Co-operation took effect, by which the traffic of persons between border regions was enabled and regulated, a legal framework was established for improving the living conditions of the populations living along the borders and a framework for strengthening economic co-operation between economic operators of the two countries in border regions. Implementation of the Agreement is taking place in a good and co-ordinated manner. On 18 March 2002, the countries began issuing the instruments and documents envisaged under the Agreement.

The basis for co-operation in the area of culture is the Programme of Co-operation between Ministries of Culture. Cultural exchange between the countries is especially strong in the musical and museum spheres. The Protocol between Ministries of Education enables co-operation and the undisrupted education of pupils and students of the two countries at secondary school, undergraduate and post-graduate levels. In certain articles, the Protocol regulates concrete cross-border co-operation in the area of primary and secondary education. In the sphere of tertiary education, the two countries co-operate within the framework of the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies (CEEPUS) with the exchange of students and professors, which has been taking place since 1996. More than 300 Croatian citizens are studying at Slovene universities. Co-operation in the area of science is similarly intensive. In terms of scientific research projects, Croatia is Slovenia's primary partner, since there are currently some 74 joint projects. Co-operation between the universities of the two countries is also very well developed - even joint commissions for assessing master decrees and doctorates are underway.

The countries co-operate on the areas of road, rail, air and maritime traffic and co- ordinate the course and time dynamics of the construction of road links which are envisaged with trans-European traffic corridors V and X.

Creative co-operation is also reflected in multilateral frameworks (UNO, Council of Europe, OSCE and other international organisations and initiatives), and Slovenia has welcomed and supported the accelerated accession of Croatia to Euro-Atlantic integrations. The signing of the Agreement on Stabilisation and Association with the EU opens a clear European prospect for Croatia.

GOVERNMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS AND MEDIA OFFICE © 2002