SLOVENIA REQUESTS EXPLANATION OF STATEMENTS ON ECONOMIC ZONE

LJUBLJANA, Aug 4 (Hina) - The Slovene Foreign Ministry on Monday issued a statement in reaction to statements that Croatia will proclaim an economic zone in the Adriatic this autumn, requesting that Croatian officials clarify such statements. #L# According to the ministry's statement, Slovenia will oppose any unilateral moves until the two countries adopt a consensual solution on the sea border, as well as any other solution which may be contrary to European Union guidelines and the 1982 UN Convention on Maritime Law. Maritime expert Marko Pavliha said in an interview for Slovene Television tonight that Croatia's declaring an economic zone extending to the middle of the Adriatic would mean no access to the open sea, i.e. "international waters" for Slovene fishermen, who would be able to fish only in Slovene waters and a part of Croatian waters under a bilateral agreement (as part of an agreement on local border traffic and cooperation). (hina) rml sb