SLOVENE OFFICIAL: WE WON'T TAKE OVER USD BILLION WORTH DEBT OF LJUBLJANSKA BANKA

LJUBLJANA, June 5 (Hina) - Slovenia's representative for succession to the former Yugoslavia, Miran Mejak, said on Tuesday Slovenia cannot accept the burden of USD one billion worth of savings deposits the Ljubljanska Banka, i.e. its branch offices in Zagreb, Sarajevo and Skopje should pay its depositors. "Slovenia insists on the territorial principle under which the depositors of any bank, whether foreign or domestic, should be the responsibility of the state where they have permanent residence. This principle has been accepted by Slovenia, Macedonia and Bosnia- Herzegovina while Croatia has agreed to guarantee for only two thirds of the debt of the Ljubljanska Banka Zagreb," Mejak told the Slovene new agency STA. "The territorial principle for savings deposits has already been recognised in the world and to insist that the state where the bank is based should return the debt is unusual," says Mejak. In case Slovenia is forced to return the debt, Slovene tax payers will have to shoulder a burden worth one billion dollars. However, Mejak agrees the funds Slovenia receives from the former federation within the succession process should go to Ljubljanska Banka depositors. He announced that the Slovene government would decide about the ratification of a framework agreement on succession by the end of this month. (hina) rml