LJUBLJANA, Jan 15 (Hina) - Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister Slavko Linic wrapped his one-day visit to Slovenia late on Wednesday. He met several government ministers, businessmen in the Slovene Chamber of Commerce, and directors of
Croatian companies operating in Slovenia.
LJUBLJANA, Jan 15 (Hina) - Croatia's Deputy Prime Minister Slavko
Linic wrapped his one-day visit to Slovenia late on Wednesday. He
met several government ministers, businessmen in the Slovene
Chamber of Commerce, and directors of Croatian companies operating
in Slovenia. #L#
Talking to Croatian media at the end of the trip, Linic assessed
Croatian-Slovene economic cooperation as excellent, sometimes
undermined by open issues dating back to the break-up of the former
Yugoslavia. These issues will be solved bilaterally and by experts,
each issue separately and not in a package, he said.
Linic confirmed the two neighbours' prime ministers would meet in
Zagreb on Friday. He said that today in Ljubljana he initiated a
meeting between the two states' finance ministers in either Zagreb
or Ljubljana in the near future. It should be another step in
resolving the issue of deposits made by Croatian citizens in
Slovenia's Ljubljanska Bank before the 1990s war, he said.
Linic added that today's talks with the ministers in the Antun Rop
cabinet did not touch upon recent statements by Slovenia's
representative for succession to the ex-Yugoslavia to the effect
that the Ljubljanska Bank issue belonged to the sphere of
succession and must be resolved by Croatia.
Linic said that not one Slovene minister had officially mentioned
the allegedly new evidence in the matter -- that Croatia had
recognised a so-called territorial principle in the payoff of those
deposits.
"Our reaction was very clear -- Ljubljanska Bank has a debt to its
clients," said Linic.
"It is nice to know that in both Slovenia and Croatia there are...
people who wish to create conditions for cooperation... dialogue.
We need an approach involving experts... political statements
should not touch upon such delicate issues," he said.
As for speculation in Slovenia that it might buy out Croatia's share
in the jointly owned nuclear power plant at Krsko, Linic said: "It's
not a topic. What we are interested in is Slovenia's ratification of
the agreement (on Krsko).
"What we said is that the government will support (Croatia's power
utility) HEP in protecting its investment. HEP has to do it...
professionally. If this protection involves arbitration or the
various models (Slovenia) will offer, we are behind (HEP) but don't
want to discuss it. It is a problem for the people in HEP, experts,
lawyers. We would rather have the ratification than a third party
for arbitration," said Linic.
He also held talks with Transport Minister Jakob Presecnik.
During a meeting with some 30 representatives of Croatian companies
operating in Slovenia, Linic said economic cooperation between the
two countries was excellent and announced bigger capital
investments by Croatia in Slovenia.
(hina) ha