CRO UPPER HOUSE DELEGATION VISITS LJUBLJANA ( Editorial: --> 0584 )

( Editorial: --> 0584 ) LJUBLJANA, Nov 13 (Hina) - A high delegation of the Croatian parliament's House of Counties on Thursday visited the Slovene parliament's state council in Ljubljana at an invitation of the council's president Ivan Kristan. They held talks on cooperation of the two parliaments' upper houses to date and in the future, as well as on overall economic and political relations. Croatia's Ivan Aralica explained the essence of Croatia's proposal to the Bosnian Federation on the establishment of special relations. He rejected, as he said, all claims that Croatia's proposal was an attempt at dividing Bosnia-Herzegovina. The proposal for the establishment of special relations was a starting point for building relations in the future, Aralica said, pointing out the Benelux countries were a similar example. According to Slovenia's Kristan, so far the relations between Croatia and Slovenia had often been burdened with issues related to the disintegration of the former Yugoslavia. Now was the time to strengthen relations and realize common interests, especially in view of the fact that Slovenia is presiding over the Central European Free Trade Association, which Croatia wants to join, he said. Kristan mentioned that the Slovene parliamentary foreign affairs committee yesterday ratified an agreement on local border traffic and cooperation. This, he said, testified to improved relations with Croatia. The Croatian delegation was later received by Slovene secretary of state Ivo Vajgl. (hina) ha jn 131751 MET nov 97