Angry Neighbours to Bar Croatia, Romania, From OECD

Romania and Croatia face a veto from their neighbours, Hungary and Slovenia, on Friday in Paris, when the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, OECD, discusses their applications for membership.

Hungary on Wednesday said it would block Romania's membership application over the closure of a Hungarian-language Catholic school in Transylvania.

Slovenia, meanwhile, said it would do the same for Croatia, which is accused of failing to respect an arbitration verdict on the disputed maritime border in the Piran Gulf.

Croatia's Foreign Ministry told N1 media on Wednesday that it was "surprised" that Slovenia did not plan to support Croatia's entry into the OECD.

However, Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec confirmed on Wednesday that Slovenia planned to withdraw its support for Croatia's candidacy, accusing Croatia of disrespect for international law.

This referred to Croatia's decision to ignore the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration regarding the maritime border in the Piran Gulf.

He said he had "talked to the Secretary General of the OECD", Jose Angel Gurria, at an intergovernmental forum held in Bled, Slovenia, last week

"I clearly told him [Gurria] that we can't agree for a state that does not respect international law being a member of the club of the most developed countries in the world," he said.

Erjavec also said Hungary is also thinking allong the same lines because of alleged problems with implementing an arbitration decision over the future of the Croatian energy company INA, in a case which Hungary's MOL won against Croatia.

However, it is Romania that will most definitely face a veto from Hungary.

Budapest on Wednesday said that it would oppose Romania joining not...