CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER INVITED TO VISIT SLOVENIA

MUNICH, Feb 3 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Munich on Saturday his Slovene counterpart Dimitrij Rupel had invited him to pay a visit to Slovenia, during which they would discuss Croatia's regulations on the transit of oil cisterns through Croatia and other open questions. Picula, who met Rupel during a conference on security, said the visit would be held very soon and the exact date would be determined subsequently. According to Picula, yesterday's meeting with Rupel tackled problems which ensued after the signing of an agreement on succession to the former Yugoslavia and Slovenia's stand on Croatia's regulations on the road transport of oil imports through Croatia. It was agreed that a group of Croatian experts should visit Ljubljana to give the necessary explanations to Slovene officials, which would help alleviate tensions which occurred after the regulations went into force. "Minister Rupel said Slovenia is not satisfied with the (latest), modified version of the regulations either, but understands that Croatia wants to protect its environment," Picula said. The talks in Slovenia will also tackle other open questions, such as the border, the Krsko nuclear power plant, and the debt of Ljubljanska Bank to its Croatian clients. Slovene Foreign Minister visited Zagreb in early December last year. (hina) rml