Slovenia welcomed on Monday EU leaders' agreement on a bailout package intended to keep Cyprus in the eurozone and rebuild its devastated economy.

The deal, approved by the finance ministers from the eurozone, is good "in light of the stabilisation of the eurozone," the Slovenian Press Agency quoted the Ministry of Finance as reporting.

Also on Monday, Slovenian authorities tried to water down people's worries about Slovenia's possibility to follow suit due to the worsening record of banking system in the former Yugolav republic.

Addressing a reception hosted by President Borut Pahor, Slovenian Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek rejected the saying that Slovenia might be the next candidate for a bailout, noting such comparison as "unnecessary and inappropriate."

Slovenia itself can resolve its problems, including fiscal issues, said the first woman prime minister in Slovenian history.

EU diplomats warned that Slovenia must take key measures in coming months to finish setting up a bad bank, or the probability of it having to ask for a bailout will increase.

Bratusek and her coalition government began to work last week. She vowed to revive national economy and to create new jobs.

Slovenia has been trying to avoid bailout since last year. However, Bratusek's predecessor Janez Jansa was reported to be considering to sell state's shares in banks and companies in the first half of 2013 before it is forced to ask for international aid.

Options to solve the problem of bad loans may include the sale of leading telecommunications operator Telekom Slovenije; Zavarovalnica Triglav, a traditional insurance company that holds one third of market in Slovenia; and major national energy company Petrol, former finance minister Janez Sustersic was quoted as reporting. Endi

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