Prime Minister Janez Jansa and visiting Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer expressed optimism on Friday about a solution for Slovenian-German city limits in the Austrian province of Carinthia. It is too early as yet to talk about a result, but one "cannot exclude the possibility" that an agreement will be reached by the summer, Gusenbauer told reporters.
Speaking to the press during a stroll in old town Ljubljana, Jansa said that a concrete proposal for a solution to the issue was tabled during the chancellor's working visit, but it was very difficult to speak about details at this point.
In a statement later in the day, Gusenbauer added the Austrian federal parliament would have the final say and the solution would have the form of a constitutional law.
According to Jansa, the Slovenian government would support constructive solutions. "We are aware of the complexity of the issue and welcome the benevolent efforts of the Austrian government to solve this issue."
Gusenbauer would not divulge the details of the Austrian government's plans. He only said that the government was holding talks with all three main organisations of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia, adding that there were "different nuances" in the minority's ranks regarding this issue.
Wrangling over individual bilingual signs would be a "wrong logic", he said. The efforts to arrive at a solution are "an attempt to find a comprehensive solution that will be recognised by the majority of the minority and the majority population."
In a response, the Slovenian minority organisations - The National Council of Carinthian Slovenians, the Association of Slovenian Organisations and the Community of Carinthian Slovenians - said they could not comment on today's meeting due to a lack of in-depth information.
But all three umbrella groups said they were willing to except a constitutional law conditional on the specific provisions.
Gusenbauer was also quick to point out that bilingual signs were not the only issue. "It is about improving cohabitation and the bilingual signs are part of the whole...It is also about support for associations and societies that support cohabitation, as well as for economic development."
One of the topics discussed was the German-speaking ethnic group in Slovenia, the "Gottschee Germans". According to Gusenbauer, "the Austrian minority has special cultural importance, even though it is not sizeable."
Gusenbauer as well as Jansa hailed bilateral cooperation as excellent. Trade topped EUR 3.6bn last year and there are good opportunities for cooperation in the Western Balkans, where both countries share interest in stability, Jansa said.
Jansa also told his counterpart that Slovenia would seek solutions to secure sufficient energy beyond 2025. Only if new technologies do not contribute to meeting the demand "is there a chance that Slovenia may opt for the construction of a second reactor at the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant," Jansa said.
Gusenbauer said that Austria was "very glad" Slovenia had not yet taken the final decision on the second reactor at the N-plant.
Jansa said the two countries shared the view on many international issues, including their attitude to the EU constitution, which both have ratified.
"We want to preserve as much of the agreed content as possible," said Jansa. Gusenbauer added it made no sense for Europe to waste so much political energy on this issue. "We need a quick and efficient solution and we support the German EU presidency to make the breakthrough," he said.
Jansa also thanked Austria for its support in two crucial candidacies that Slovenia has sought: a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Commission and membership of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
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