STILL NO AGREEMENT ON JOINT NUCLEAR PLANT BETWEEN CRO & SLOVENIA

ZAGREB/LJUBLJANA, Oct 5 (Hina) - Croatian Economy Minister Nenad Porges said on Tuesday it was at present still impossible to speak of the reaching and passing of a Croatian-Slovene agreement on the jointly-owned Krsko nuclear power plant. "There is still a certain unresolved set of problems," Porges told Hina over the telephone after today's talks in Otocec ob Krki, Slovenia, with Slovene counterpart Tea Petrin. Croatia and Slovenia built the Krsko plant with joint means some 20 years ago. After the two countries achieved independence, the relations were not confirmed with a bilateral agreement, and soon followed disagreements in relation to the ownership, exploitation, and maintenance of the plant. Today's Porges-Petrin talks focused on what has been achieved in negotiations to date. Also participating were the heads of the two countries' negotiating teams, Croatia's Roman Nota and Slovenia's Uros Korze. The talks also discussed the issue of Slovenia's power export from Krsko, namely Croatia's part of the power which Croatia has not been receiving since August 1998. Porges said Slovenia has been exporting this power at a lower price than Croatia would pay. The two countries' economy ministers last met in Mokrice on 16 June, when also present were Slovene Premier Janez Drnovsek and Croatia's Zlatko Matesa. It was announced then an agreement on Krsko would be reached soon. Today's talks were held ahead of Matesa's visit to Slovenia, expected for 8 October. Matesa and Slovenia's Drnovsek should sign a bilateral agreement on property relations. (hina) ha jn