ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian and Slovene foreign ministers Miomir Zuzul and Dimitrij Rupel said after talks in Zagreb that they had reached a framework agreement on launching bids to settle open issues through intensive bilateral
contacts, with a possibility of going together to international arbitration in order to settle some open issues.
ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian and Slovene foreign ministers Miomir
Zuzul and Dimitrij Rupel said after talks in Zagreb that they had
reached a framework agreement on launching bids to settle open issues
through intensive bilateral contacts, with a possibility of going
together to international arbitration in order to settle some open
issues.#L#
The two sides agreed to intensify political contacts and set up expert
task groups with the aim of solving open issues. They also prepared a
part of proposals which will be on the agenda of a meeting between the
two countries' prime ministers, who might meet by the end of this
month, Ministers Zuzul and Rupel told a news conference on Friday
afternoon.
The issue of the demarcation of borderlines will be put on the agenda
of the premiers' meeting, Zuzul and Rupel added.
"We have discussed all open issues. We have agreed to propose to the
premiers to meet as soon as possible and that we should start solving
the open issues," Zuzul said, voicing confidence that the problems
would be "solved successfully".
"The first conclusion has been to free our relations and embark on a
period marked by a good, friendly mood. We should make an inventory of
the open issues and prepare some solutions in an increasingly better
confidence," Slovenia's Rupel said, voicing hope that it would be
possible to resolve problems "to mutual satisfaction".
He pointed out his country's readiness to resolve the problems and
went on to say that arbitration was one possibility, too.
"We have agreed that arbitration is a friendly solution, but we have
not prejudged that the prime ministers will take this course," Zuzul
said.
The two foreign ministers emphasised in a very friendly atmosphere
"the positive framework" which the existent good economic cooperation
and cooperation in the European context are offering for attempts to
improve the Zagreb-Ljubljana ties.
Slovenia's official also promised that his country would offer full
assistance to Croatia on its path towards the EU, saying that
Croatia's membership in the Union "is Slovenia's vital interest".
(Hina) ms sb