SLOVENE DAILY: CROATIA EXERTING PRESSURE AHEAD OF TALKS ON LJUBLJANSKA BANKA

LJUBLJANA, Jan 30 (Hina) - Letters by Zagreb attorney Milivoj Zugic and Opatija businessman Bozidar Vukasovic calling on the Croatian government and European Union to resolve the problem of Croatian citizens' deposits at the Ljubljanska Banka before Slovenia is admitted to the EU represent a "media-coordinated" campaign of the Croatian government aimed at strengthening Croatia's position ahead of bilateral talks on this issue, reads Wednesday's issue of the Ljubljana-based daily 'Delo'. "The emotional and financial gravity of the story with Zugic and Vukasovic and the several thousand clients whom they represent could be marginal and not worthy of diplomatic attention... if it were not for an undertone of tacit agreement with the stands of the Croatian diplomacy and primarily with very realistic pressures on Banski dvori (the Croatian government) to try and put a hurdle to Slovenia's admission to the EU due to three major disputes between the two countries," writes commentator Damjan Slabe. According to him, Slovenia faces the danger of "the third neighbour front," after Italy and Austria, to be opened by Croatia against its admission to the EU. (hina) rml