POSITIVE RELATIONS: CROATIAN AND SLOVENIAN FOREIGN MINISTERS

( Editorial: --> 5549 ) OTOCEC NA KRKI, 19 Jan (Hina) - Foreign Ministers of Croatia and Slovenia, Mate Granic and Boris Frlec, met on Monday in Otocec na Krki, Slovenia. Following a two hour meeting, the ministers' cabinet chiefs, Zoran Bosnjak and Andrej Logar, read a joint statement in which bilateral relations were evaluated as being positive. It is stated that both governments have up until now collectively signed 37 agreements and that they have similar stands on succession to the former Yugoslavia and inclusion in Euro-Atlantic associations. In the statement both ministers announced intensive discussions on open questions so that a higher number of these issues could be resolved by the summer. According to the statement, the meeting achieved an important understanding on land borders, while the issue of the border in the Piran bay will be further considered by experts so that a solution can be found to satisfy both sides. Both sides undertook to find a solution on the money owed by the Zagreb branch of the Ljubljana Bank to its Croatian account holders. At the meeting there was also talk of an agreement on the Krsko nuclear plant. The Krsko nuclear plant, located on Slovenian territory, was jointly constructed by Croatia and Slovenia, but after independence they had differing views on its legal status and methods of administration. At the meeting a wish was expressed that an agreement on the Krsko nuclear plant be made by the end of summer. Croatian and Slovenian officials agreed on commencement of trilateral cooperation between Austria, Slovenia and Croatia. A meeting of the foreign ministers, Schuessel, Frleca and Granic will take place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, at the end of March. (hina) jn mrb 191846 MET jan 98