LJUBLJANA TO DEMAND COMPENSATION FOR DAMAGE DUE TO OIL DECREE

LJUBLJANA, Feb 6 (Hina/STA) - The Slovene government will make a demand to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that Croatia pay damages incurred by a contentious decree on the transit of oil products, in which it will include an argument to the effect that the decree is a trade blockade of Bosnia, the Slovene News Agency STA said on Tuesday. "This is not only about material losses the companies have suffered, but their aggravated position on the market and diminished competitiveness. We will ask for a compensation for this damage one way or another", an under-secretary at the Economy Ministry, Dimitrij Grcar, told STA prior to meeting representatives of some companies affected by the Croatian decree. He announced Slovenia would report its estimate of the damage to the WTO to which it has already reported Croatia "for restrictions in the transit of oil products". Grcar said that in the dispute Slovenia would prove the Croatian decree was blocking trade in Bosnia as well. Bosnia does not have access to the sea and this is a dangerous precedent as no other country should close or restrict transit for Bosnia, Grcar added. (hina) np