PRESIDENT MESIC ENDS VISIT TO SLOVENIA

LJUBLJANA, March 20 (Hina) - Croatian President Stipe Mesic on Monday night ended his two-day official visit to Slovenia, where he met high Slovene officials. Mesic discussed open issues and the strengthening of bilateral cooperation with Slovene President Milan Kucan and Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek, representatives of Slovene parliamentary parties, and the mayor of Slovenia's capital Ljubljana, Vika Potocnik. President Mesic, who headed a high state delegation, was accompanied by his wife Milka. Following meetings between Mesic and Kucan and the two countries' foreign ministers Tonino Picula and Dimitrije Rupel, the two sides agreed that talks had shown that all open issues between Croatia and Slovenia could be solved in an atmosphere of good neighbourly relations and friendship, without international assistance. It was agreed at the meetings that more concrete results in resolving open issues can be achieved in the next several months. It was also estimated that the most difficult problem - Piran Bay - was possible to solve with an agreement which will take into consideration the national interests of both countries. More details about concrete measures for solving the open issues can be expected after the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Drnovsek to Croatia and a new meeting between Picula and Rupel, which should also be held in Zagreb next month. (hina) rml