CROATIAN PM BRIEFS GOVERNMENT ABOUT MEETING WITH SLOVENE PM

ZAGREB, Sept 12 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan on Thursday briefed the government about the talks he had with his Slovene counterpart Janez Drnovsek in Zagreb earlier this week and about the settlement of open border issues. #L# More detailed information about the solving of border issues with Slovenia will be presented to the government next week, Racan announced. By next Thursday, a standing Croatian-Slovene commission will submit proposals and a report in connection with the implementation of a temporary sea border regime. The government should also tackle a code of conduct for fishermen, which the commission is working on, Racan said, adding that the temporary regime based on the agreement he reached with Drnovsek. The proposals for the regime should be adopted by the governments of both countries. Racan expects that fishermen on both sides will contribute to the settlement of open issues in connection with commercial fishing. He recalled that both the Slovene and the Croatian government were willing to compensate fishermen for the compromises that would have to be made. Racan stressed that the temporary regime of conduct in the contentious part of Piran Bay had to be found in order to avert conflicts. He recalled that Croatia and Slovenia did not have a border deal but did have an agreement on local border cooperation. A temporary solution will be found based on that agreement, he said, recalling that the temporary regime would last three months, and longer if necessary. Racan said that arbitration was a possibility in the settlement of open border issues with Slovenia. Arbitration is time-consuming, requires tolerance and no conflicts, he said, adding that the two sides would have to decide as to many issues, from the contents of the arbitration to the arbiter. (hina) ha