Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Grenade Thrown at Kranj Police Station

"An explosive device, probably a hand grenade, exploded near the entrance to the police administration headquarters in the city of Kranj at around 1 AM on Friday. There were no injuries."

Source: STA

Croatia rejects changes to EU proposal for resolving dispute with Slovenia

"Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said on Monday (May 25th) that Zagreb would not accept any Slovenian changes to an EU proposal for solving the long-standing border dispute between the two countries through international arbitration.

'We shall not agree to any amendments,' he said.

The plan, tabled by EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn last month, was not an invitation for either Zagreb or Ljubljana to suggest possible changes to it, but a 'take it or leave it' offer, which Croatia chose to accept, Sanader said.

It envisions the establishment of an ad hoc five-member international arbitration tribunal, operating in line with international law, to solve the 18-year-long dispute between the two former Yugoslav republics.

But politicians in Slovenia criticised the plan, claiming their country was not explicitly recognised as a maritime nation in it and therefore 'lost its right to declare a sea belt', Croatian media reported earlier this month.

Critics also reportedly opposed a provision, under which Slovenia would have to lift its veto of Croatia's EU accession talks, once both countries consented to arbitration."

Source: SETimes.com

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Slovenia to sign South Stream project deal

"The Russian Federation is close to concluding agreements with Austria and Slovenia on their participation in the South Stream gas network project launched by the Russian oil and gas giant Gazprom Russian and Slovenian officials said in Moscow and Ljubljana on Friday.

Slovenia will sign the agreement in June Slovenian Economy Minister Matej Lahovnik said at a news conference in Ljubljana.

The South Stream pipeline will transport Russian natural gas via the Black Sea and Bulgaria to Italy. 'Slovenia has made this decision and wants to be a part of this project. We are working on a final text of the agreement and we expect its signing in June ' Lahovnik said after meeting Igor Shchegolev the Russian Minister of Telecommunications and Mass Communications."

Source: SEE news