Fajon urges resolution of remaining Yugoslavia succession issues
Ljubljana, 2 June - Twenty years to the day since the Yugoslavia succession treaty entered into force, Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon urged successor states - Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and North Macedonia - to muster the political will and wisdom to resolve the remaining open issues to the benefit of their citizens.
Brdo pri Kranju
The flags of the countries that emerged on the territory of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA
File photo
Settling the open issues remains a priority of Slovenia's foreign policy, Fajon says in a video statement, as she stresses Slovenia's determination to continue promoting regular dialogue between the successor states at all levels, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release on Sunday.
She also stresses that implementation of agreements, including of the succession treaty, is an integral part of the rule of law, which is of great importance to Slovenia.
Fajon also promotes its full implementation due to the planned EU enlargement to the Western Balkans, saying it is not possible to ensure a solid basis for coexistence and constructive cooperation of the successor states in the EU without first settling the outstanding issues of the past.
The ministry said that the agreement on succession issues was the first binding international legal document to confirm the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia and the creation of five sovereign, equal successor states on its territory.
Its main goal is to regulate mutual rights and obligations of the successor states on issues of succession to the former common state in line with international law.
The agreement was signed in Vienna, Austria on 29 June 2001 by the foreign ministers of Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (now Serbia) and Macedonia (now North Macedonia), entering into force on 2 June 2004 after Croatia ratified it as the last successor state.
Based on the treaty, Slovenia has acquired all former Yugoslav immovable and movable property that was on its territory when the country gained independence.
The country has received 13 diplomatic missions, as well as nearly EUR 12 million from the joint sale of several diplomatic missions.
It has moreover received around EUR 220 million of Yugoslavia's available financial assets.
The country has taken possession of over 100 original treaties deposited by Yugoslavia which are related exclusively to the territory of Slovenia.
It has also received more than 230 works by Slovenian artists that were located at former Yugoslav diplomatic missions abroad, and 13 original copies of Slovenian feature films.
The ministry stressed that as the country makes efforts for the treaty to be fully implemented, Slovenia will continue to pay special attention to the issue of cultural heritage, including succession to archives and unimpeded access to them.
The country will also continue to be active in efforts to distribute any outstanding debts to third countries or international organisations.