SLOVENE POLICY IS PART OF ELECTORAL CAMPAIGN - FOREIGN MINISTRY

ZAGREB, May 26 (Hina) - The present events in Slovene's internal and foreign policy are a part of the electoral campaign and Croatia expects Slovenia to approach the solving of open issues between the two countries, Croatian Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Zagreb Friday. Slovene's daily "Delo" on Friday wrote Slovene's Foreign Minister Dimitrije Rupel had after a meeting with his Croatian colleague Tonino Picula in Florence said he was surprised with Picula's words that Croatia was yet to have a true collocutor on the Slovene side to negotiate outstanding issues. "At this time the fact that Slovenia is in an electoral state should not be disregarded," spokesman Goran Rotim told Hina. "Everything that is currently happening in the internal and foreign policy of the neighbourly and friendly Slovenia is a part of the electoral campaign," he said. "In this process Croatia does not wish to be an arbitrary, or in any way aggravate relations," he said. Rupel was allegedly surprised by Picula's words that negotiations in the defining of the sea border between the two countries would continue when Croatia receives a true collocutor from the Slovene side, Delo said. "Croatia expects the Slovene side to approach solving open issues in good faith," Rotim asserted, adding "Croatia is permanently orientated to solving open issues." "The European future of both Croatia and Slovenia is not in question," he stressed. Delo further said Rupel had said Janez Drnovsek's Government and him as Foreign Minister, had full mandate for these talks and Croatia's stance was surprising. (hina) lml mm