FOREIGN MINISTRY:CROATIA NOT TO RENOUNCE ARBITRATION WITH SLOVENIA

ZAGREB, May 6 (Hina) - Croatia has not changed its attitude regarding an agreement with Slovenia on the common state border but it will not renounce the possibility of resolving the issue via arbitration if the two sides do not manage to come to a direct agreement, the Croatian Foreign Ministry (MVP) said in a statement Monday.#L# The MVP reacted to a statement by Slovenia's Foreign Ministry with its expression of "surprise" to the news that Croatia will not accept an amendment by which the possibility of arbitration is to be "deleted" as a possible solution to contentious issues regarding the border between Slovenia and Croatia. An amendment of the kind was proposed to the European Parliament by Italian MP Dimitrij Volcic. "The Croatian Government has not changed its attitude on the Agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia on the Common State Border as Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula stated during his last meeting with Slovenia's Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel in Ljubljana", the MVP said in statement. However, that does not mean that Croatia is rejecting the final possibility of possible international arbitration to resolve any conflicts, the statement says, adding that Croatia will resort to arbitration if an agreement cannot be reached through direct negotiation between the two sides. (hina) sp sb