CROATIA'S TOMAC, SLOVENIA'S KACIN ON PARLIAMENT DELEGATIONS' TALKS

LJUBLJANA, Feb 28 (Hina) - A Croatian parliamentary delegation, headed by parliament vice president Zdravko Tomac, on Monday visited Ljubljana where with colleagues from the Slovene parliament's committee on foreign affairs they discussed open issues between the two countries and ways of solving them. The meeting was very open and friendly, and represents a big step forward towards resolving open issues, Tomac told reporters following the two and a half hour long talks. Croatia's authorities and Opposition have reached a consensus regarding foreign policy and relations with neighbouring countries, Tomac said, adding relations with Slovenia were of strategic importance for Croatia. A Europe-oriented Croatian-Slovene cooperation is very important for the work of the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe, it was pointed out during today's talks with Slovenia's parliamentarians and meetings with Slovenia's President Milan Kucan, European Affairs Minister Igor Bavcar, parliament president Janez Podobnik, and Lojze Peterle, the president of a parliamentary commission for relations with the European Union. Tomac also mentioned the obligation to act on the part of public opinion which accentuated mistrust. This, he said, would facilitate the solving of open issues. He announced today's talks would be the basis for an impending meeting of the Croatian parliament's committee on foreign affairs, which should urge the finding of solutions and concrete initiatives and suggestions. Asked if it was possible to change some segments of a Croatian- Slovene agreement on local border traffic and cooperation, which the Slovene parliament has still not ratified, Tomac said Croatia's uniform stand was that what was being suggested in Slovenia was unacceptable. The chairman of the Slovene parliament's foreign affairs committee, Jelko Kacin, said Slovenia's Constitutional Court would soon take a position on the said agreement. In the meantime, we can work on agreements which could be signed, and even ratified, such as agreements on the avoidance of double taxation, tourist cooperation, and even borders, he said. Speaking about border issues, Kacin said Slovenia's position was that a border was not established until it was established in its entirety and an agreement was signed. Slovenia's position was that in the former Yugoslav federation, it had an exit to international waters and that after gaining independence, it should not be entitled to less. (hina) ha jn