SLOVENE ARMY SOON TO WITHDRAW FROM SVETA GERA?

LJUBLJANA, Feb 23 (Hina) - Slovene Defence Minister Anton Grizold said on Monday the Slovene army may soon withdraw from the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) facility on Mt. Sveta Gera on the Croatian-Slovene border.#L# This issue became topical following an interview with former Slovene president Milan Kucan in a Croatian Television talk-show on Sunday. Kucan said in the interview that he personally still did not know what the Slovene army was doing on Sveta Gera, especially in light of the fact that Slovenia would join the EU and NATO in a few months. "In that regard, Kucan's reasoning is really topical and I am confident that we will find an answer in the shortest possible time," Slovene Defence Minister Grizold said, adding that this was not only a matter to be dealt with by the defence ministry, but also by the government and parliament. Officials in Ljubljana say this issue was politically linked with the issue of the sea border and the fact that Croatia and Slovenia have not yet signed an agreement on the border, so Slovene soldiers remained in the small JNA facility which was once used as a communication centre and which according to land registers is located on the Croatian side of the border. (Hina) rml sb