LJUBLJANA, Sept 6 (Hina) - Slovenia's foreign minister has refuted claims about Croatia's sovereignty over "contentious" territory south of the Dragonja river, which includes three hamlets, and claims that border demarcation in the
middle of Piran Bay "is fictitious and has never represented a historical reality".
LJUBLJANA, Sept 6 (Hina) - Slovenia's foreign minister has refuted
claims about Croatia's sovereignty over "contentious" territory
south of the Dragonja river, which includes three hamlets, and
claims that border demarcation in the middle of Piran Bay "is
fictitious and has never represented a historical reality". #L#
These claims were contained in Friday's response by Dimitrij Rupel
to a letter from his Croatian counterpart Tonino Picula. Rupel says
he was "surprised" by Picula's letter and "dissatisfied because I
cannot agree with most of the assessments made in it".
Rupel says that the arrest of Josko Joras, a Slovene citizen
residing in Mlini, was an unlawful act. He recalls that Slovenia
several times in the past "warned Croatian authorities about the
unlawful proceedings" launched against Joras.
Rupel states that the territory including the hamlets Skodelini,
Mlini and Buzini south of the Slovene border was never regulated
from a formal legal point, among else, because the residents of
Mlini and Buzini at referendums in 1948-9 objected to annexation to
the Kastel local community. The territory refers to "113 hectares
of land south of the Dragonja which were under Slovene jurisdiction
the entire time after World War Two," says Rupel.
He reiterates that, in compliance with Article 15 of the UN
Convention on International Sea Law, "the middle of Piran Bay does
not constitute the demarcation line between Slovenia and
Croatia".
"The middle never represented a historical reality... Slovene
fishermen are fishing in their traditional fishing area... while
Croatian fishermen are coming into the Slovene sea with increasing
frequency, making dangerous manoeuvres," Rupel writes in
connection with recent incidents in Piran Bay.
The minister further states that "according to the Badinter
Commission as well" Slovenia and its state bodies "have to exert
their jurisdiction as on 25 June 1991." He is surprised that Picula
declined an invitation for a meeting.
"Slovenia lives in peace and wishes to spread peace to other
unstable regions, it is approaching EuroAtlantic integration,
which I hope will include Croatia as well, and the recognition and
respect of reached agreements is a requirement for EuroAtlantic
integration," Rupel says in the letter.
(hina) ha sb