MESIC AND KUCAN AGREE NEW STIMULI NEEDED FOR SOLVING OPEN ISSUES

ZAGREB, June 6 (Hina) - In order to solve outstanding issues between Croatia and Slovenia new stimuli are necessary, as it is evident that within the framework of existing initiatives the best solutions have not bee found, Croatian and Slovene presidents Stipe Mesic and Milan Kucan said after a meeting in Zagreb on Tuesday. #L# "Croatia and Slovenia have several outstanding issues, bit none of them have to present a problem. They have to be worked on despite possible elections," Mesic said. Before the meeting between the two presidents, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan and Slovene Foreign Minister Dmitrij Rupel held a meeting behind closed doors. The result of the meeting was, Kucan said, that inter-state dialogue was progressing, despite the current government crisis in Slovenia. Regarding foreign policy, the two presidents paid most attention to the recent initiative of the French colleague Jacques Chirac about the holding of a summit of countries of the former Yugoslavia. "We agreed this was an interesting idea, if it could contribute to drawing closer to European associations of countries such as Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina or if it would discuss the issue of Montenegro," Kucan said. If such a conference should take on a wider context, the entire Balkans, the conference should become a summit of all European countries in the newly-created European perspective, the presidents agreed. "President Kucan and I agree with all initiatives assisting the integration of the region into Europe. We also agree that those countries closer to Europe need to help those further away," Mesic added. Kucan arrived in Croatia for the opening of an exhibition of the most important Slovene architect of the 20th century, Jozo Plecnik, at the art and Cratfs Museum. Along with the two presidents, the exhibition was to be opened by their Czech colleague Vaclav Havel, who had to be absent sue to hernia surgery. (hina) lml jn