LJUBLJANA DAILY SAYS GOVT IS HINDERING RATIFICATION OF AGREEMENT

LJUBLJANA, July 5 (Hina) - Although Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek's government is blaming the parliament for the new hitch is the process of ratifying a border traffic agreement between Slovenia and Croatia, there are many clear signs that this is a tactical act by the government itself which is hindering the ratification to use the situation as "an ace up its sleeve" in negotiations with Croatia on the border on sea, Ljubljana's daily "Delo" said in its Friday's issue. The Slovene parliamentary foreign policy committee postponed a decision on the agreement and its sending to the parliament for ratification. The committee president has said a discussion on the agreement could be discussed next Thursday "if the other items on the agenda are resolved by then". A committee member said the chairman was hindering the process at the request of the government because, he said, "while negotiations on the government are underway, it is not in its interest for the agreement too be adopted". The daily claims other committee members also hold this is a tactical hindrance at the wish of the Slovene government. Members of the ruling party, however, have said the agreement could be ratified this month. (hina) lml