CRO FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS RUSSIAN & SLOVENE COUNTERPARTS

( Editorial: --> 2964 ) NEW YORK, Sept 25 (Hina) - The meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov has confirmed that Presidents Tudjman and Yeltsin will meet in Moscow on November 3, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in New York on Thursday after his afternoon meeting with Ivanov. Several economic agreements and a joint declaration will be signed on that occasion, Granic told reporters. Granic and Ivanov discussed the Kosovo crisis and the implementation of the Dayton peace agreements. As regards open issues with Yugoslavia, Croatia asked Russia for a balanced approach, Granic said. Croatia's Foreign Minister also held a meeting with his Slovene counterpart Boris Frlec. It was confirmed negotiations on open issues between the two countries would be expedited. If negotiations fail to bear satisfying results, the two ministers agreed for arbitration to take place after three months in relation with the jointly owned Krsko nuclear power plant and the Zagreb branch office of Slovenia's Ljubljanska Bank. A commission on borders will convene in October, when both sides will submit written statements on remaining open issues, Granic said. The meeting should be followed by a final adjustment of the land border issue, which still calls for the resolution of certain items, and of the sea border issue, Granic added. Both Frlec and Granic agreed it is necessary to avoid local border incidents from occurring, in order to facilitate the reaching of final agreements. The Croatian Foreign Minister is in New York attending the 53rd UN General Assembly. (hina) ha 251221 MET sep 98