Slovenia's Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec on Monday said that a solution to the dispute of the now defunct Ljubljanska Banka and the related matter of ratifying Croatia's accession treaty with the EU was, perhaps, close to being found and that he came to that conclusion after speaking with Croatian Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusic on Friday.
Erjavec and his Croatian counterpart will be meeting on Wednesday in Brussels to discuss the matter again.
"We are close to a solution", Erjavec told the press commenting on the situation in negotiations concerning the bank dispute which should lead to the ratification of Croatia's accession treaty in the Slovenian parliament.
He added that it was important to reach a mutually acceptable solution that would facilitate the withdrawal of lawsuits against the Ljubljanska Banka in Croatian courts and thus, the ratification of the document in Ljubljana.
The minister confirmed that he would meet Croatia's foreign minister in Brussels on Wednesday and that he believed they would find a solution that will enable the Slovenian parliament to ratify Croatia's treaty at the ongoing session, which is to be brought to conclusion in early March.
Erjavec said that he expected another meeting with Minister Pusic which would also include the country's two experts assigned to address the Ljubljana Banka issue.
"We are seeking a solution on a political level and it is up to the experts to offer a technical solution", said Erjavec.
