EU postpones Croatia accession meeting over border row (Extra)

Apr 23, 2009, 15:40 GMT

Prague - The Czech Republic's presidency of the European Union said Thursday it has cancelled Friday's EU accession meeting with Croatia over the Balkan country's unresolved border row with neighbouring EU member Slovenia.

The Brussels-based conference, postponed for the second time this year, would take place 'subject to positive development' in the bilateral dispute, which has stalled Croatia's EU entry talks with the 27-member bloc.

'We cancelled it because there is no chance to close or open further chapters,' presidency spokesman Jan Sliva told the German Press Agency dpa.

Slovenia, which joined the EU in 2004, has blocked the opening of nine chapters ready for negotiations over the row dating back to 1991.

The dispute centres on a stretch of border at the coastal town of Piran and access rights to the Adriatic Sea.

In a meeting with Croatian and Slovenian foreign ministers on Wednesday, EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn proposed that land and sea borders be determined by an international court made up of five judges chosen by Zagreb and Ljubljana, Croatian media reported.

Croatia welcomed the proposal, while Slovenia said it was still studying it.

However, efforts to settle the row suffered a blow on Thursday when Slovenia cancelled a high-level meeting between the Slovenian and Croatian premiers scheduled for next week.