Talks start on dividing Yugoslav assets

A conference to begin dividing the assets of the old Yugoslavia opens today in the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana.

All five successor states -- Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the former Yugoslav republic of Macedonia and the present Federal Republic of Yugoslavia -- will be represented.

Until now most of the assets, including embassies and government bank accounts, have been controlled by the present Yugoslav federal government in Belgrade.

After the overthrow of Slobodan Milosovic, the new government in Belgrade agreed that the other former Yugoslav republics should get a share of the proceeds. But each has different interests to protect.

Bosnia wants the assets divided according to the size of population.

The richer republics want a formula geared towards their greater industrial production.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service