AVOID POLITICISING BORDER ISSUES - SAY GRANIC & FRLEC

LJUBLJANA, Feb 17 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Wednesday held talks in Ljubljana with Slovene counterpart Boris Frlec. Granic told reporters after the meeting the two sides stood firmly by their statement that 99.1 percent of the land borderline had been adjusted, and that only six kilometres in the Dragonja River basin, at its entry into the Adriatic Sea, remained to be adjusted. Both ministers told reporters they were firm in their resoluteness to not politicise border issues and cause any incidents. Regarding a temporary solution for the border in Piran Bay, Granic said another meeting would have to be called. We are looking for a temporary solution which will not prejudge the lasting solution for the border on sea, he added. Croatia's Foreign Minister said the meeting also tackled the open issues between the two countries in economy. Progress has been made and solutions are closer at hand than before, he added. It has been agreed for Croatia to respond by March 1 to Slovenia's suggestion with regard to an agreement on arbitration in the issue of Slovenia's Ljubljanska Banka depositors in Zagreb. Granic and Frlec were later received by Slovene Premier Janez Drnovsek. (hina) ha