TALKS ON SUCCESSION TO FORMER YUGOSLAVIA START IN LJUBLJANA

LJUBLJANA, Feb 21 (Hina) - Representatives of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Yugoslavia, through the mediation of Arthur Watts, started talks on the solving of the succession to the former Yugoslavia in Ljubljana on Wednesday. After a two-year blockade, the talks are expected to bring progress in the solving of the division of currency reserves and stocks in Basel's Bank for International Settlements (BIS), as well as a progress in negotiations on archive materials, pensions, and rights gained based on the equality of all successor countries. Head of the Slovene delegation Miran Mejak, told Slovene reporters this morning that there was a hope for the passing of "mini- memorandum", which would be the first stage of a long-term process of solving the succession issue. According to Mejak, issues on which all successor countries have the same points would be solved in the first stage, after which, the participants could approach more difficult issues, such as the division of former Yugoslav property. Present at the talks were also representatives from Montenegro, however, as a part of the official delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. (hina) it sb