CROATIAN PM URGES SLOVENE COLLEAGUE TO ABANDON BORDER DEAL

ZAGREB, Sept 4 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan maintains that a draft border deal initialled by Croatia and Slovenia "cannot be the basis for the settlement of problems" and that his Slovene counterpart Janez Drnovsek should accept this view as well. #L# "The Croatian Government is ready for new talks on ways of solving the contentious issues between our countries," Racan said in a letter to Drnovsek on Wednesday. Racan maintained that the initialled border deal, "as a failed attempt", could not be the basis for the solving of issues, and that he could not sign it and move that parliament ratify it. "It was an attempt without legal effects. I expect that You too will finally accept this," read the letter. "Also, it is evident that in the current climate we cannot leave the solving of this issue for some other time. We are, therefore, left with the most reasonable solution - arbitration," Racan wrote, expressing willingness to discuss "binding arbitration" with Drnovsek, but after receiving support in the Croatian parliament. Racan reminded Drnovsek of the other open issues between Croatia and Slovenia: Ljubljanska Banka's debt to Croatian depositors and an agreement on the jointly owned nuclear power plant in Krsko. This agreement was signed by both governments and ratified by the Croatian parliament, but Slovenia "ignores" it as though it did not exist, Racan noted. The Croatian PM stated in the letter that "one-sidedness, exclusiveness and devaluation and quasi-patriotism, especially on the political and the media scene" were becoming frequent in the relations between the two countries. However, Racan was confident that both countries' citizens would prefer it if the conflicting situation was overcome by resolving problems and through cooperation. Racan announced that he would meet Drnovsek in Zagreb next Tuesday. (hina) ha sb