The meeting, which will be held in Slovenia, will review the progress so far and what more needs to be done so that the Croatian government can withdraw authorisation for lawsuits over deposits against the defunct Slovenian bank LB and its successor NLB, which is Slovenia's condition for the ratification of Croatia's EU Accession Treaty.

"My personal belief is that we are quite close to a solution. I'm confident that with good will and positive energy we can find a solution and that Slovenia can launch ratification of Croatia's Accession Treaty very soon," the Slovenian minister said after talks with his counterpart in Brussels.

Erjavec projected that both governments could support the solution that the two ministers would find in cooperation with both financial experts in February, which would open the path to ratification of Croatia's EU Accession treaty in the Slovenian National Assembly.

He also expressed his confidence that the two-thirds majority needed for ratification in parliament would be secured if the LB issue is solved.

The minister noted that the parliamentary Foreign Policy Committee, in which all parties are represented, had adopted a unanimous position that the solution of the LB issue would enable ratification.

Arhar and Rogić, who were appointed by their respective government to help resolve the LB issue, have come a long way when it comes to technical solutions of the issue, but have not reached a final solution yet, Erjavec said.

The two foreign ministers believe their assistance is also necessary because of the political dimensions of the problem, he noted.

Pusić said that an attempt would be made to define the solution politically and technically on 6 February. "Once we define the solution, to which we have come very close, we will present it to both governments. I'm convinced that if we agree, the governments will accept the solution as well," she said.

The Croatian minister repeated that an adequate alternative solution would enable Croatia to withdraw authorisation to banks for lawsuits against LB and NLB before Croatian courts.

"Based on the meeting today I expect the process to run well and that ratification is completed on time and that Slovenia will not be the last to ratify Croatia's accession treaty," Pusić said.

The 6 February meeting will be followed by at least another one. "I think the 6 February meeting will be the first step, and another meeting will probably follow," Erjavec answered when asked whether a final solution was to be expected on 6 February.