Vraničar Erman informed Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, ECB boss Mario Draghi and director of the IMF's European Department Poul Thomsen about the latest decisions in the privatisation of NLB on the sidelines of a meeting of the Eurogroup and a meeting of EU finance ministers.

The government decided last week to suspend the privatisation of Slovenia's largest bank after disagreeing with the proposed minimum price of 55 euros per share and the proposed price range of between 55 and 71 euros per share.

It said that the risk related to the Croatian lawsuits over Yugoslav-era savings deposits in particular would prevent a successful sale of the bank.

The decision could prove problematic if the state misses a deadline agreed upon with the Commission in exchange for the late 2013 bailout of the bank.

Slovenia committed to sell 75% of NLB minus one share by the end of 2017 in exchange for the state aid, but reached this year an agreement to sell at least 50% of the bank by the end of this year and the rest by the end of 2018.

The finance minister, tasked with ensuring that NLB stay intact, said today that there was a general agreement that a solution be found in cooperation between the European Commission, notably Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, and the state.

"I find it important to keep all relevant stakeholders regularly updated about the situation and developments. This way, we can hope that Slovenian arguments will be understood," she told the press.

Vraničar Erman added that talks were still in the early stages and that different proposals were still being considered. She added that in-depth talks would be held until the end of the month, followed by a meeting with Vestager early next month.

"It's a fact that there is relatively little time left to find a suitable solution. We need to find a quick solution to ensure stable operations of the bank," she added.

She reiterated that the main goal was to keep NLB a regional bank and expressed belief that "this is of key importance for preserving the value of state assets and ensuring the option for the further development of the bank".