The European Union’s (EU) Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn urged Croatia and Slovenia to resolve their 18-year border dispute before the European council’s summit meeting scheduled for June 18 and 19, so that Croatia’s EU accession talks would be resumed.

Slovenia's Foreign Minister Samuel Zbogar stated that he expected Rehn to bring to the table some new ideas for the resolution of the border row and the resumption of Croatia's EU entry talks.

Slovenia has blocked Croatia's negotiation talks due to the unsolved border dispute. The country seeks direct access to international waters in the northern Adriatic, asking Croatian for a channel to the open sea. Croatia aims to enter the union in 2010 or 2011.

In April, Rehn proposed to create an arbitration body in order to unblock the Croatian EU entry negotiation talks and solve the country’s border dispute with Slovenia. The arbitration body would include five arbitrators. The European Commission would propose the main arbitrator, who would name two of its assistants, while Croatia and Slovenia would name one arbitrator each.

Croatia has accepted the proposal, while Slovenia has asked for amendments.