LJUBLJANA, March 7 (Hina) - The press in Slovenia and Italy has its knives out for Croatian President Stjepan Mesic's recent statement about the possibility of declaring a Croatian-Italian economic belt in the Adriatic.
LJUBLJANA, March 7 (Hina) - The press in Slovenia and Italy has its
knives out for Croatian President Stjepan Mesic's recent statement
about the possibility of declaring a Croatian-Italian economic
belt in the Adriatic. #L#
Slovenia's most reputable daily, Delo, said on Friday it was "yet
another scandal in Slovene-Croatian relations" and that Mesic's
statements "are more or less unacceptable and have no basis in
international law".
"The Croatian President is not interested in the fact that
international law gives Slovenia the right to harmless transit and
that it does not need to get it by an act of the neighbouring state.
It is not clear either how the proclamation of an economic zone
would regulate the Slovene-Croatian border demarcation as the zone
would have no bearing on either the border in Savudrija Bay or the
division of the sea on the other side of the border between
Croatia's Savudrija and Slovenia's Punat cape," said Delo.
Referring to the U.N. convention on the law of the sea, the daily
said the proclamation of an economic zone would damage Slovenia as
it would obstruct the fishing regime for Slovenes in international
waters.
The solution lies in European integration as the European Union
proposes that states renounce the right to create exclusive
economic zones, said Delo.
Quoting Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, Slovenia's STA state news
agency said Mesic's statement was "clumsy and discouraging... a
provocation that is not conducive to good international
relations".
The Trieste-based Il Piccolo described Mesic's statement as a
"shocking proposal" which "exploded like a bomb".
This daily said Mesic was proposing to Italy the abolishment of
international waters and the division of the Adriatic, and
suggesting that a Rome-Zagreb agreement would also resolve the
Croatia-Slovenia issue of Piran Bay.
The division of the Adriatic "would give Croatia the part of the sea
richest in fish to which other countries' fishing boats could not
even get close without the prior signing of bilateral agreements,"
said Il Piccolo.
It estimated Mesic's statement "will not defuse tensions between
Croatian and Slovene fishermen in Piran Bay".
Il Piccolo mentions the economic belt includes the bottom of the sea
and recalls there are gas fields in the central Adriatic. Drawing
the economic belt would be a source of income for Croatia, it said.
"According to some sources at (the Italian foreign ministry), Rome
and Zagreb officially have only touched upon these issues, and the
Italian side is curbing Croatia's passions as it would have nothing
to gain."
Slovenia and Italy are agreed the establishment of an economic belt
has to date been advocated only by right-wing parties and fishermen
in Croatia.
(hina) ha sb