Croatia has accused neighboring Slovenia of harboring territorial aspirations and has recalled its ambassador from Ljubljana.
It is the latest development in a long dispute between the two former Yugoslav republics over sea borders. Thursday, The Slovene government declared an area of open water in the northern Adriatic an ecological zone and laid claim to the area.
Croatia responded by ordering ambassador Marijo Nobilo home for consultations.
A Croatian government spokesman, Vlatko Macek,called the Slovene action politically damaging and inconsistent with agreements on good neighborly relations.