Speaking to reporters after the session, which saw the attendance of several hundred senior Croatian and foreign officials, Veber said Croatia's EU accession was important in particular for the people living along the border.

"The many cultural and economic ties are what will unite us in our common work in the EU," he said.

Veber was quizzed by reporters about the recent statement of Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanović - repeated in parliament today - that Croatia would be the only Slavic country with a maritime tradition in the EU.

The original statement had been interpreted by pundits not only as poor knowledge of geography (Poland as well as Slovenia are EU Slavic countries with maritime traditions), it was also seen as an affront to Slovenia, which is involved in a maritime-border dispute with Croatia.

But Veber downplayed the statement, noting that "history is behind us, today's event is the future...We all know that Slovenia is a maritime country and that we can cooperate in this field."

The Sabor ceremony was a part of celebrations that will culminate Sunday evening with a red carpet event in the centre of Zagreb, where the Slovenian delegation will be led by President Borut Pahor.