TRANSMISSION LINES FROM KRSKO REMAIN DISCONNECTED - MEETING

( Editorial: --> 1077 ) OTOCEC OB KRKI, July 31 (Hina) - The two transmission lines by which the Krsko nuclear plant supplied Croatia with electricity remain disconnected even after a meeting Economy Ministry delegations of Slovenia and Croatia held in Otocec Ob Krki Friday afternoon. "At this moment the transmission lines are disconnected", said Slovene Economy Minister Metod Dragonja after a closed five-hour meeting. "But it is our common goal to resolve the problems as soon as possible", he said. Croatian Assistant Economy Minister Roman Nota expected that many problems would be resolved in the near future. It was agreed that decisions would be made on the level of the plant's management board, while all other issues would be resolved with an agreement between Croatia and Slovenia which both sides believe has to be reached as soon as possible. Slovenia's Dragonja said Krsko was a business problem, even though it had been made into a political one. "We ascertained that the problems cannot be resolved by diplomacy, prime ministers and state presidents, but have to be resolved at an expert level", he said. Dragonja said today's meeting pinpointed similar issues which were the most accountable for obstructing the reaching of an agreement, adding these were primarily advance prices and payment dynamics. The Croatian and Slovene delegations agreed to find a solution to unfreeze the current situation within a week, Dragonja said. (hina) ha 312010 MET jul 98