PICULA INFORMED ABOUT RESULTS OF LJUBLJANA SUCCESSION TALKS

ZAGREB, March 7 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian government Office for the Succession Project, Bozo Marendic, on Wednesday informed Foreign Minister Tonino Picula about the results of succession talks held in Ljubljana in late February, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The talks, held in Slovenia among five states-successors to the former Yugoslav federation, with the mediation of Sir Arthur Watts, focused on tasks and starting points for the next negotiating round, which should be held in early April in Brussels, the statement said. The talks also tackled the division of gold reserves and other property from the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements (BIS), the division of former Yugoslavia's real estate in foreign countries and of archive materials, as well as pensions, acquired rights, and access to information and data relevant for the succession process. Until the new negotiating round, the Foreign Ministry will draw up a list of priorities in the division of former Yugoslavia's real estate abroad. Minister Picula said the succession process was important for the stabilisation and normalisation of relations in the area of former Yugoslavia, the statement said. (hina) sb rml