ZAGREB, March 30, 2019 - The Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Ministry said on Saturday that it was surprised by "incorrect and legally unfounded allegations" Slovenian Foreign Minister Miro Cerar made in a statement for the media last Wednesday when he said that a few days earlier, a Croatian police boat had entered deep into Slovenia's territorial waters in Savudrija Bay, justifying it by saying that their navigation system had broken down.
Cerar said that Slovenia would send Croatia a strongly-worded diplomatic note because the Croatian police boat illegally crossed the border at sea and entered Slovenian territorial waters.
According to the Slovenian police, the Croatian police boat sailed "2.5 kilometres deep into Slovenian territorial waters" and "1.3 kilometres beyond the middle line in Savudrija Bay and returned to the Croatian side after a warning from the Slovenian police."
Cerar said the Croatian police's justifying their movement by saying that their navigation system had broken down was not acceptable.
The Croatian ministry said on Saturday that it entirely dismissed the allegations, adding that the events of last Sunday were about "routine daily navigation and conduct of police control in Croatia's territorial waters in and outside Savudrija Bay, and about the unlawful navigation of a Slovenian police boat in Croatia's territorial waters."
The ministry confirmed receipt of the diplomatic note, noting that it "makes no mention, much less provides arguments for the said event or the Slovenian Foreign Minister's statement."
"The note is a response to an earlier note by the Croatian side and it repeats general, legally unfounded allegations about reported breaches, to which the Ministry will respond," the Croatian ministry said, adding that there was no reason for raising tension or making untrue statements and recalling that on a number of occasions it had invited the Slovenian side to resume bilateral talks with Croatia on defining the joint state border.
More news about the Croatia-Slovenia border dispute can be found in the Politics section.
