OTOCEC OB KRKI, April 11 (Hina) - Croatia and Slovenia continue to have different views on ways of resolving the open issues which have obstructed their relations since gaining independence in the early 1990s, the two countries' prime
ministers said on Wednesday.
OTOCEC OB KRKI, April 11 (Hina) - Croatia and Slovenia continue to
have different views on ways of resolving the open issues which have
obstructed their relations since gaining independence in the early
1990s, the two countries' prime ministers said on Wednesday.#L#
"The joint assessment is that both sides have kept different
positions as to the resolution of the issues of the sea border, the
Krsko nuclear power plant, and Ljubljanska Banka's debt to Croatian
depositors," Slovene Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek told reporters
after talks with his Croatian counterpart Ivica Racan.
The talks were held in Otocec ob Krki in Slovenia, and instead of the
planned two they took six and a half hours. Also participating were
the two countries' foreign ministers and the leaders of expert
teams in charge of the three open issues.
Drnovsek said it had been agreed the expert teams should intensify
activities over the next six weeks in order to settle some of the
three issues by June 1, or otherwise declare that the issues could
not be settled on the bilateral level and that international
arbitration was required.
"We have stepped up the pace as we don't want these issues to
continue aggravating us next year as well," said Drnovsek.
"Even though this meeting failed to bring spectacular results, I am
confident it will prove to be more important than it seems at
present," said Croatia's Racan.
Speaking about the demarcation of the state border in Piran Bay, he
said a transitional solution was possible before a lasting one was
reached.
According to Racan, the issue of Ljubljanska Banka's debt to
Croatian depositors proved to be the most complex one.
"We want to settle these (three) issues to stop obstructing the two
countries' friendly relations," he said.
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