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While all eyes in Europe are focused on Ireland today, the Croats are to return to the negotiation table in Brussels, Gazeta Wyborcza reports. For almost ten months Slovenia has successfully blocked talks on Croatia’s accession to the EU, over a border dispute in the Gulf of Piran and on the River Dragonja that has been dragging on since the collapse of Yugoslavia in 1991. A couple of weeks ago, Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahora met with his Croat opposite number Jadranka Kosor to find an amicable resolution to the feud. Croatia conceded by promising Slovenia access to the Adriatic through the Gulf of Piran, while the Slovenians agreed not to link the negotiations to arbitration. According to the Warsaw daily, many experts believe that Croatia is the only country with any chance of becoming a EU member in the “foreseeable future.” The majority of Croats, want to join the EU. So far Zagreb has opened 22 and closed only 7 out of 33 negotiation areas. Nevertheless, EU enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn believes that the negotiations with Croatia should be completed in the second half of 2010.
