CROATIA WELCOMES DECISION OF SLOVENE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT

ZAGREB, May 22 (Hina) - Croatia has welcomed a decision the Slovene Constitutional Court made on April 19 ruling that the Croatian- Slovene Agreement on Local Border Traffic and Cooperation is in compliance with the Slovene Constitution. The decision was announced by the Slovene press agency STA on Tuesday. The Croatian Foreign Ministry issued a statement today expressing hope the Slovene parliament would soon ratify the agreement thus "facilitating the cross-border movement of both countries' citizens who live in border areas." The Agreement on Local Border Traffic and Cooperation was signed on April 28, 1997 in Ljubljana and the Croatian parliament ratified it the same year. The agreement defines the border area in both countries, road border crossings, the rights of dual owners and daily migrants as well as use of border rivers and border sea areas, reads the statement. The Slovene side did not ratify the agreement until recently because Slovene parliamentarians believed it would prejudice the resolution of the border line regardless of the fact that the agreement itself explicitly dismisses such a possibility. A group of Slovene deputies therefore requested that the Constitutional Court rule on the matter. (hina) sb rml