THERE IS STILL NO AGREEMENT ON SUCCESSION OF EX-YUGOSLAVIA

BRUSSELS, Nov 13 (Hina) - During two-day talks in Brussels under the chairmanship of the special negotiator for the succession sir Arthur Watts, delegations of countries-successors to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRJ), focused their attention on criteria for defining the former Yugoslavia's assets and archives, as it was agreed at previous October's session. The two-day talks ended on Wednesday. Two approaches were reflected in defining criteria for what state assets of the SFRJ could be. One approach was harmonized by delegations of four countries Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Slovenia, whereas the other approach was advocated by a delegation of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SRJ). As the SRJ delegation persisted in its view that the state assets be determined on the grounds of the joint financing from sources of the old federation (SFRJ), it was impossible to reach agreement on the matter. However, it was clear that stances on some classic examples of state assets were close, and this helped Watts to try make different views be more similar, at the same time creating possibilities of defining successfully all criteria in ongoing negotiations. It was agreed that the joint work would continue on condition that all countries-successors, by concrete expressions of good will, create a positive atmosphere necessary for solution of complex problems of succession. Delegations of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia and Slovenia proposed that issues of succession might be partially discussed. Thus, it could be possible to agree on division of gold reserves in the Bank for International Settlements, on succession of debit claims from the former Soviet Union (USSR), division of real estate abroad and approach to the state archives separately. The Croatian delegation consisted of Bozo Marendic, who is the head of the office for succession project, Vladimir Djuro Degan, coordinator for legal issues, Zvonimir Lerotic and Marina Mage. (hina) mš 132345 MET nov 96