SANADER TALKS WITH SLOVENE POLITICIAN JANSA

ZAGREB, Jan 23(Hina) - Croatia's Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, who is the leader of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), on Friday afternoon received the chief of the Slovene Democratic Party, Janez Jansa, at the HDZ main offices, for talks on cooperation between the two political parties as well as all on open issues between the two countries.#L# The two political parties' leaders agreed that open issues should be considered in a friendly atmosphere, but they did not rule out the possibility of going to international arbitration. "It is not in our interest to see relations deteriorate, we want to defuse the situation, and, as friends and neighbours, discuss open issues and try to find a solution, " Sanader said after the meeting. He went on to say that if the two sides failed to find solutions, there would be enough time for arbitration which would be initiated by the two countries together . "We do not think that arbitration reflects a lack of maturity of the two countries. It is a legal and legitimate institute," Sanader said. The leader of the Slovene opposition party added that his party and the HDZ had developed good relations while they had been leading parliamentary oppositions in their respective countries, and they also cooperated within the European Popular Party as its members. "Good relations between the two parties are a framework for the improvement of relations between the two countries," Jansa said. He went on to say that the atmosphere between the two neighbours had improved since the November parliamentary elections in Croatia and the HDZ's coming into power. (Hina) ms sb