Croatia lodges protest with Slovenia amid border spat
Zagreb claims its territory was violated by Slovenian police
Croatia has lodged an official protest to Slovenia amid a spat over a metal border fence.
Croatian Interior Minister Ranko Ostojic claimed Wednesday to domestic paper Vecernji List that Slovenian police entered Croatian territory while constructing the barrier, intended to control the flow of migrants on the frontier.
"We are just going to warn them that they have entered Croatian territory and tell them to remove the fence. If they do not, we will send them a diplomatic protest, and then physically remove the fence," Ostojic said.
Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said at a press conference: "It is the same situation as we have already had with Hungary. Also, we have reacted in the same way and the Hungarians moved the set wire. We expect the same kind of reaction from the Slovenian side."
Slovenian soldiers began constructing a two-meter-high fence along the country’s border with Croatia on Wednesday.
The fence, which will run for 150 kilometers (93 miles) along the southern frontier, is to control the flow of refugees seeking to reach northern Europe.
On Tuesday, Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar said a barrier would be established on Slovenia’s 318 kilometer (198 miles) border that would include a chain-link fence, Croatian news agency Hina reported.
Cerar said the border had not been closed but added that the measures would prevent uncontrolled entry.
Hungary was the first EU country to build a border fence to control refugees, on Aug. 6, before sealing its frontier with Serbia.
