Arbitration court to deliver ruling on Slovenia-Croatia border dispute
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 29 June 2017 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Arbitration court to deliver ruling on Slovenia-Croatia border dispute, 29 June 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/59818e1ca.html [accessed 27 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
June 29, 2017 10:17 GMT
By RFE/RL's Balkan Service
An international arbitration court is set to rule on June 29 on a long-standing border dispute between Slovenia and Croatia – two former Yugoslav republics that are now EU and NATO member states.
The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration is due to issue its ruling on the dispute over 13 square kilometers comprising the Bay of Piran in the Adriatic Sea, as well as largely uninhabited land.
Slovenia insists it has a historic claim to the entire bay, while Croatia says it owns half of it.
Slovenia, which has just 46 kilometers of shoreline, believes its access to international waters will be at stake if the court finds in favor of Croatia, where the coast stretches 1,700 kilometers.
The two sides agreed in 2009 to send their dispute to the court in The Hague, but its ruling is unlikely to resolve the dispute.
Croatia unilaterally pulled out of the arbitration process two years ago amid a scandal over media reports revealing illegal contacts between Slovenia's government and a Slovenian member of the arbitrage panel.
Croatia has since said that it considers the arbitration process tainted and intends to disregard it.
Slovenia has promised to implement the court ruling.
Based on reporting by AFP and dpa
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
