KUCAN'S OFFICE: GOVERNMENT IS TO DECIDE ON RETREAT FROM SVETA GERA

LJUBLJANA, March 21 (Hina) - During their talks, Slovenia's and Croatia's Presidents, Milan Kucan and Stjepan Mesic respectively, mentioned the withdrawal of a small Slovene army garrison, deployed at Sveta Gera (Croatian territory), but a final decision on the matter is to be made by the Slovene parliament and government, said sources from Kucan's office on Tuesday, responding to a statement given by Mesic's foreign affairs advisor Stanko Nick who told reporters in Zagreb that Kucan had notified Mesic that first steps were being taken in the withdrawal of the Slovene troops from Sveta Gera. Slovenians moved into the military barracks in that area after the then Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) was retreating from Slovenia and western parts of Croatia in 1991. After Monday's talks of these two heads of state in Ljubljana, Kucan told a joint news conference that his stand on this issue was already known, but the withdrawal of Slovene soldiers from Sveta Gera would be decided by the Government and its decision is likely to be endorsed by the Slovene parliament. According to Kucan, in 1991 when Slovenia sought international recognition, Ljubljana promised that the country's border-lines would be European and the army would not be deployed on them. (hina) ms