Croatian gov't calls special parliament session on border arbitration case with Slovenia

The Croatian government requested on Friday a special parliament session to discuss the latest development on the border arbitration between Croatia and Slovenia after an accused lobbying scandal was released.

Josip Leko, the speaker of the parliament has set the session to be held on Wednesday.

Parliament will discuss the latest development concerning an agreement between Croatia and Slovenia on solving a territorial dispute through a process before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

On Wednesday, Zagreb-based daily newspaper Vecernji list published transcripts and audio tapes revealing Slovenian representative on the arbitral tribunal Jernej Sekolec and Slovenian Foreign Ministry employee Simona Drenik had discussed lobby other judges sitting on the tribunal to influence the outcome of the arbitration in Slovenia's favor.

Jernej Sekolec and Simona Drenik resigned on Thursday and the Slovenian government is obliged to appoint a new adjudicator in 15 days and if it fail to do so , the tribunal would appoint someone, according to the arbitration agreement.

Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Vesna Pusic said that Croatia was considering about all possible options, even "the possibility of backing-out from the arbitration process".

• Related on the disputes between the two countries on sea borders of Piran gulf, located on the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia claims at last 66 percent or more in the gulf, while Croatia claims 50 percent for itself.

In 2009 the two countries signed an arbitration agreement.

Croatia and Slovenia started a case before the court in June 2014.
   Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
  25/7/15
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