Slovenia will block Croatia's Schengen zone, OECD entry: FM

LJUBLJANA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec on Friday stated that his nation would not let Croatia become a member of the Schengen area until it implements the border arbitration agreement, according to the Slovenian Press Agency.

Slovenia would also plan to withhold its support for Croatia's membership to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the foreign minister added.

"Until the arbitration award is respected, until it is implemented, Slovenia will always give a negative opinion on Schengen. A country that does not know where the border between two countries is cannot be a part of the Schengen zone," he said.

Regarding OECD membership, Erjavec stated that Croatia was having problems with the rule of law, as evident from suits brought by Slovenia's defunct bank LB being bogged down in Croatian courts.

Erjavec made the comments after a session of his Pensioners' Party council in reference to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic's statement that Schengen zone entry, membership of the OECD and adoption of the euro were Croatia's priorities. Enditem