Presenting the initiative in Ljubljana on Wednesday, constitution expert Ivan Kristan said that the notification of the treaty to its depositor, Russia, was needed from the legal aspect, as only then the Basic Constitutional Charter on the Sovereignty and Independence would be fully implemented.

"The constitutional law implementing the basic charter stipulates that international treaties which were signed by Yugoslavia and which relate to Slovenia are valid on the territory of Slovenia. In order for these treaties to be valid, the succession to the AST should be notified," he said.

The call comes only days before the 60th anniversary of the international document that gave Austria its sovereignty back following WWII and also set it commitments regarding the Slovenian minority.

For Slovenia, the document is important because of its provisions regarding the Slovenian minority. Article 7 of the treaty sets down Austria's obligations in safeguarding the minority in the regions of Carinthia and Styria.

Kristan believes that the initiative is a "project that must succeed" and is putting his hopes on Prime Minister Miro Cerar, jurist himself, and parliamentary Speaker Milan Brglez, and international law expert.

Slovenia as a legal successor of Yugoslavia should also be a successor in the AST, said Kristan, adding that the treaty was important for Slovenia because of the border, protection of minority and damages for property confiscated after WWII.

Austria meanwhile rejects the idea that a country established after the signing of the treaty could succeed any of the original signatories. Austria was against the Czech Republic becoming a successor in 2004, but the country nevertheless became a successor, and this has not affected their relations, he stressed.

Discussions about Slovenia's notification of legal succession to the AST started already in 1991 as the country declared independence from Yugoslavia, but all the governments so far have failed to make the move for one reason or another.