BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (Hina) - Participants in the first round of talks on succession to the former Yugoslav federation, held for the first time after almost two years in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday, agreed that all five
successor-countries wanted to resume talks and reach an agreement as soon as possible. The second round of talks has been scheduled for February 2001 and will most probably take place in Ljubljana.
BRUSSELS, Dec 19 (Hina) - Participants in the first round of talks
on succession to the former Yugoslav federation, held for the first
time after almost two years in Brussels on Monday and Tuesday,
agreed that all five successor-countries wanted to resume talks and
reach an agreement as soon as possible. The second round of talks
has been scheduled for February 2001 and will most probably take
place in Ljubljana. #L#
The head of the Croatian delegation, Bozo Marendic, told reporters
after the two-day negotiations "an inventory has been made and the
situation was compared to the situation from two years ago."
It was established, he said, that "Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina and Macedonia have not made any significant changes to
their stands."
"The Yugoslav side was not concrete enough. We asked them very
concrete questions but their answers were ones in principle. Still,
even on the basis of such answers we believe the talks can
continue," Marendic said.
He added the atmosphere at the meeting had been more constructive
than two years ago, when the talks had been broken off due to
sanctions against Yugoslavia, but still insufficiently
constructive to be described as suitable for work, which was why
concrete issues were not discussed.
The international mediator for succession to the former
Yugoslavia, Arthur Watts, said he was 'encouraged' by the meeting.
All delegations have expressed readiness to continue the talks and
reach an agreement as soon as possible. Whether this will happen,
remains to be seen in February, Watts said. Today's meeting was more
of a formal nature, therefore individual succession areas were not
discussed, he said.
Slovenia's chief negotiator Miran Mejak said there was a
possibility the talks would be held in stages, which would result in
separate agreements on individual succession issues.
Asked to comment on the possibility of adoption of several separate
agreements, mediator Watts said he preferred neither a global nor a
partial but the fastest solution, even if it meant more special
agreements on individual succession issues.
Slovenia's Mejak also said his country firmly stuck to the
International Monetary Fund's key to the succession issue as it was
'logical' that rights be distributed the same way debts had been
distributed.
The meeting also resulted in a proposal that talks on succession in
the future be held in the capital cities of the successor-states for
the sake of economising costs.
(hina) rml