ZAGREB ZAGREB, Sept 4 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Wednesday told journalists that he planned to meet Slovene Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek in Zagreb next Tuesday, September 10.
ZAGREB, Sept 4 (Hina) - Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Wednesday told
journalists that he planned to meet Slovene Prime Minister Janez
Drnovsek in Zagreb next Tuesday, September 10. #L#
Racan said that he was a moderate optimist regarding the meeting
with his Slovene colleague and that contact with the Slovene side
was continuing as well as that he had spoken to Drnovsek twice
during the day already.
"We spoke about what must be done so that our meeting can contribute
to calming the situation and resolving conflicts," Racan said and
added that this was an imperative expected from the meeting. He
stressed the need to restore good neighbourly relations.
Racan also said that he had spoken to Istrian fishermen and that
those talks were not as unsuccessful as they appeared.
We need to resolve our problems jointly, and if we cannot do it by
applying the agreement on cross-border co-operation, we need to
investigate other options, Racan said. He added that the agreement
was not the best possible solution, however, he defended it as a
legalist.
Commenting on the Opposition's demands for his resignation, Racan
said that he was not impressed with those demands. "I can understand
the Opposition, but this is not the first time they have demanded
the resignation of the premier and government," Racan said, adding
that citizens would assess the work of the government at the end of
its term of office.
He did not wish to comment on statements by President Stjepan Mesic
that Robert Badinter should be entrusted with arbitration on Piran
Bay.
"That is a lovely proposal, but this is not so much an issue of the
'AVNOJ' borders, but of resolving contentious issues on those
borders," Racan said.
He said that arbitration required time and that it could take up
several years through regular institutions, while ad hoc
arbitration lasted a little less.
Racan presented journalists with a letter he sent Slovenia's Prime
Minister pointing out the Croatian government's readiness for a new
round of talks on resolving contentious issues and that the
initialled draft agreement on borders could not be the basis for
resolving problems between two countries.
(hina) sp rml sb