PICULA: DATE OF POSSIBLE RACAN-DRNOVSEK MEETING LATER TODAY

ZAGREB, Sept 4 (Hina) - The date of a possible meeting between Croatian and Slovene Prime Ministers Ivica Racan and Janez Drnovsek will probably be set later today, Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula said in Zagreb on Wednesday. #L# Picula, who was present at the signing of a protocol on cooperation in education between the Croatian Science and Education Ministry and the Slovene Education Ministry, requested an audience with Drnovsek this morning as he was carrying a letter from Racan, the Croatian Ambassador in Ljubljana, Celestin Sardelic, said. In his letter to Drnovsek, Racan "once again elaborates the basic starting points Croatia will take at the meeting", Picula said. The Croatian Minister said the meeting must be "well prepared" in order to meet public expectations that the solving of the problem would really begin. Picula also said his meeting with Slovene Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel would take place after conditions for the meeting were created. The current relations between Croatia and Slovenia demand dialogue, Picula said. He added it was not that important whether the dialogue would be "written or conducted in direct meetings." "Unless these meetings are well prepared and give results, then we compromise them, because both the Croatian and the Slovene public expect us to find a way out of the crisis," Picula said. (hina) it sb