Written statement by the President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, on the occasion of the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between Slovenia and Croatia on Ljubljanska Banka in Mokrice, Slovenia, on 11 March 2013

Prime Minister Janša,
Prime Minister Milanović,

Let me congratulate you on your decision to sign a Memorandum of Understanding aiming at finding a solution on the Ljubljanska Banka issue.

The ceremony today marks an important moment in the relationship between Croatia and Slovenia as well as in your relations with the European Union.

Politics is about confronting changes, and European politics is about confronting them together. By choosing the path of dialogue, tenacity and compromise, you have been able to turn the page as Member States of our Union.

Your constructive approach to solving bilateral issues like the maritime sea border dispute and now the Ljubljanska Banka is a sign of maturity. The way you handle them serves as an example for the whole region.

Today’s ceremony sends a clear message: issues that seemed intractable for years can be addressed. Good neighbourly relations and effective regional cooperation can be achieved. The European Union wants the countries in the region to succeed and supports them in meeting European standards in order to ultimately join the Union. We stand by our commitment.

Today’s agreement is an important step on Croatia’s path towards the European Union. We now await the Commission’s last Monitoring Report on Croatia’s pre-accession preparations to be adopted end March and the finalisation of the ratification of the Accession Treaty in all national Parliaments. I am looking forward to these next steps.

I congratulate you and send my kind regards.