CROATIA-SLOVENIA: PARLIAMENTARY SPEAKERS MEET

PODCETRTEK, June 1 (Hina) - The parliamentary speakers of Croatia and Slovenia said on Friday the ratification of a local border traffic agreement in the Slovene parliament would give new impetus to the two countries' efforts to solve open issues and clearly indicate the two countries are willing to find answers by themselves. Croatia's Zlatko Tomcic and Slovenia's Borut Pahor today held a meeting in the Slovene village of Podcetrtek. Pahor said the Slovene parliament would tackle the ratification of the local border agreement at the next session. He voiced hope the ratification would boost the efforts of Slovenia and Croatia to solve open issues in connection with the sea and land border, the jointly-owned Krsko nuclear power plant, and the debt Slovenia's Ljubljanska Banka owes Croatian depositors. "The population in local border areas will benefit the most from the agreement, while... Croatia and... Slovenia will send a clear message to the international community that they are willing to find answers to all open issues by themselves," said Tomcic. He added the ratification in the Slovene parliament, and a Slovene Constitutional Court decision saying the local border traffic agreement is in harmony with the Constitution, would also positively affect the impending meeting between the two prime ministers. (hina) ha sb