GRANIC: CROATIA AND SLOVENIA HAVE MADE REAL PROGRESS IN RELATIONS

ZAGREB, Nov 17 (Hina) - Croatia and Slovenia have made a real step forward in their relations and discovered mechanisms for resolving the most important bilateral issues, Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in Zagreb on Tuesday. "The time is ripe for the resolution of all open questions because the two states also have other interests, primarily as regards Euro-Atlantic integration processes and their position in the international community in general", Granic told reporters following today's session of the Sabor's (parliament) Committee for External Policy. In an introductory speech before the Committee, Granic said that both Slovenia and Croatia considered their mutual property relations as agreed upon. As regards the Krsko nuclear power plant, "both states agree to continue intensive negotiations within two weeks in order to reach an agreement on the basis of co-ownership". In regard to Ljubljanska Banka and its debt to Croatian depositors, Croatia and Slovenia want to draw up an agreement on arbitration, Granic said. He added that for the time being one could not predict how long the arbitration process would take or who would conduct it. The most important step has been made with Slovenia's agreement to accept arbitration in the case of Ljubljanska Banka and the fact that the agreement on the Krsko nuclear power plant would be based "on co-ownership and not on co-investment". "As regards the land border, things are becoming more simple and we are close to an agreement; as regards the sea border, we are considering a transitional solution - in case a permanent one is not possible, and there is always the possibility of arbitration", he concluded. (hina) mm rml