SLOVENIA THREATENS TO PREVENT PASSAGE TO CROATIAN TRUCKS

LJUBLJANA, Jan 18 (Hina) - Slovenia could start implementing countermeasures for Croatian transporters as of next week if the contentious regulation banning the transit of Slovene cisterns with oil products to Bosnia is not rescinded, Slovene state secretary at the foreign ministry in Ljubljana, Iztok Simoniti, said Friday. "Next week Slovenia will start with reciprocal measures to protect Slovene interests", said Simoniti, who received Croatia's answer to a Slovene protest note in which contentious measures are explained with ecological reasons and a wish to prevent illegal trade. Slovenia, however, still insists the prohibition of transit which prevents free passage of goods to Bosnia was unjustified, and announced it would complain to the Energy Charter Secretariat in Brussels and the secretariate of the World Trade Organisation. Slovene state secretary for energetics Robert Golob said Slovenia could ask for indemnity for losses in profits if the appeal is accepted. Slovene companies which are trading with oil products, primarily "Petrol" and "Istrabenz", assess they would pay a price by one third higher for the oil transport by railways in comparison to roads. (hina) np sb