SLOVENIA FACES DILEMMA ABOUT SIGNING AGREEMENT WITH U.S.

LJUBLJANA, June 3 (Hina) - The head of the EU Mission in Slovenia, Erwan Fouere, said on Tuesday Brussels was not pressuring non- member countries regarding the signing of a bilateral agreement with the United States, but was trying to efficiently implement the Rome Statute as a legal foundation of the International Criminal Court. #L# The EU is constantly emphasising that no country in the world should take actions that undermine the efficiency of the ICC, Fouere told the Slovene news agency STA. He added the European Union was trying to convince the United States that the ICC's activities were in the U.S. interest as well. U.S. officials met representatives of the Slovene foreign ministry Monday to discuss the U.S. wish to sign a bilateral agreement with Slovenia under which Americans would be exempt from being extradited to the ICC. U.S. officials said the European Union was exerting pressure not only on countries in the process of joining the EU but also on those that were far from gaining membership of the EU. This is a very active campaign which is aimed at undermining the U.S. attempts, U.S. ambassador to Slovenia Johnny Young told a press conference in Ljubljana held after the talks. He added the United States insisted on the signing of the agreement in a fear of politically motivated indictments against its citizens. The United States is not a member of this court, therefore it cannot be under its jurisdiction, Young says. The Slovene media on Tuesday stressed the Slovene government must not bow to the U.S. pressure to sign the agreement on the non- extradition of Americans to the ICC. According to a public poll conducted by a Maribor daily, one third of readers opposes the signing, while one third advocates it. (hina) it sb