"Slovenia supports the enlargement of the Schengen area," said Cerar, who is currently attending the 74th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The minister pointed out that the rule of law was one of key standards a country needed to meet to enter the Schengen area, adding that other standards included "respecting and implementing international agreements and rulings".

Cerar highlighted that to ensure the area's security every country needed to fully meet all the security and technical requirements for joining Schengen, according to the Foreign Ministry's press release.

The Croatian newspaper Večernji List reported on Monday that the European Commission would give its go-ahead to Croatia on 16 October to enter the Schengen area, adding that Croatia's Schengen membership would then be green-lit before the end of the outgoing commission's term.

Slovenia is suing Croatia at the EU Court, alleging infringements of EU law through its refusal to implement the June 2017 border arbitration award, including infringement of Schengen rules.