CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES PERRY

ZAGREB, June 14 (Hina) - Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman on Monday received a former U.S. Defence Secretary, William Perry, the Croatian President's Office said in a statement. During the meeting Tudjman and Perry exchanged opinions on efforts aimed at solving the border dispute in the Bay of Piran, which has encumbered the relations between Croatia and Slovenia for years. Tudjman thanked Perry for the help he is offering in the resolution of the Piran Bay issue. The resolution of this issue may help to promote the bilateral ties between Croatia and Slovenia and would also positively influence the standings of the two countries in the international community. President Tudjman said Croatia would like to solve the problem in a totally conciliatory mood, but it cannot give up its territorial sovereignty over the Bay, the statement read. Present at the meeting were Tudjman's chief-of-staff, Ivica Kostovic, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and Tudjman's advisor on internal policy, Ivic Pasalic. Perry, who has accepted a role of the mediator between Croatia and Slovenia in the dispute over the sea border, came in Zagreb this afternoon from Ljubljana where he arrived on Sunday. In Ljubljana, Perry held talks with Slovenia's President Milan Kucan, Prime Minister Janez Drnovesek and Foreign Minister Boris Frlec. At a news conference in the Slovene capital, Perry said he would formulate his opinion on the demarcation of the sea border between these two countries and begin mediating after he was acquainted with stands of both sides. (hina) ms