ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - The unsolved issue of the border between Croatia and Slovenia should not hinder efforts to solve remaining outstanding issues between Zagreb and Ljubljana, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan and Slovene
President Milan Kucan said after talks in Zagreb on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Nov 28 (Hina) - The unsolved issue of the border between
Croatia and Slovenia should not hinder efforts to solve remaining
outstanding issues between Zagreb and Ljubljana, Croatian Prime
Minister Ivica Racan and Slovene President Milan Kucan said after
talks in Zagreb on Wednesday. #L#
"We agreed that that which should not or cannot be solved at this
moment, such as the border issue, should not hinder the efforts of
both countries to solve remaining open issues," Racan told
reporters, adding that it was in the interest of both states to
solve all outstanding issues, including the border issue, "in a
good atmosphere".
"The unsolved border issue is not a reason not to continue dealing
with other issues, solved or unsolved," Kucan said, stressing he
believed that the Slovene and Croatian governments should continue
talks on the border agreement.
The Croatian prime minister also said he had spoken with Kucan about
overall relations between the two countries, as well as what needed
to be done so the cooperation would be even better. He expressed
hope that the two states would "solve the remaining issues soon".
Expressing satisfaction with his visit to Croatia, the Slovene
president said he "got what he expected", meaning "a guarantee that
Croatia's view of our joint future is equal to Slovenia's, and that
it is aware that the joint path is what will help both Croatia and
Slovenia realise their interests in the long run."
"At the end of my visit I would like to stress that I have seen for
myself that Zagreb believes that our relations over the past ten
years have never been as good as they are now," Kucan said,
stressing this was the result of intensive talks and contacts the
two countries held in the past year.
During his two-day visit to Zagreb, which ends on Wednesday, the
Slovene president held talks with Croatia's most senior officials -
- his host President Stjepan Mesic, Parliament Speaker Zlatko
Tomcic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan.
(hina) lml