NEW YORK, July 13 (Hina) - Prevlaka is an integral part of the bay of Boka Kotorska, an inalienable part of the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), reads the opening claim in an extensive letter submitted by the
Yugoslav charge d'affaires Vladislav Jovanovic to the Chairman of the Security Council regarding a debate on the mandate of U.N. military observers on Prevlaka, which is to be held soon. In the 14-page letter, which includes numerous maps and refers to alleged historical sources between 1038 and 1991, Jovanovic negates Croatia's sovereignty in the area of Prevlaka. Moreover, he claims that Croatia's secession from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has created an artificial territorial dispute between the FRY and Croatia". As alleged evidence Jovanovic uses the fact that U.N. monitors have been on Prevlaka for more than six and a half years and that Security
NEW YORK, July 13 (Hina) - Prevlaka is an integral part of the bay of
Boka Kotorska, an inalienable part of the territory of the Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), reads the opening claim in an
extensive letter submitted by the Yugoslav charge d'affaires
Vladislav Jovanovic to the Chairman of the Security Council
regarding a debate on the mandate of U.N. military observers on
Prevlaka, which is to be held soon.
In the 14-page letter, which includes numerous maps and refers to
alleged historical sources between 1038 and 1991, Jovanovic
negates Croatia's sovereignty in the area of Prevlaka. Moreover, he
claims that Croatia's secession from the Socialist Federal
Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) has created an artificial
territorial dispute between the FRY and Croatia".
As alleged evidence Jovanovic uses the fact that U.N. monitors have
been on Prevlaka for more than six and a half years and that Security
Council resolutions and Secretary-General's reports on Prevlaka
mention the existence of a territorial dispute.
In the letter, addressed to Malaysia's Ambassador Hasmy bin Agam,
the Chairman of the Security Council, Jovanovic even claims that
after the armed secession of the Socialist Republic of Croatia from
the SFRY, Prevlaka remained a part of Boka Kotorska in Montenegro,
FRY.
Jovanovic supports his claims also with the text of the Agreement on
the Normalisation of Relations between Croatia and the FRY of
August 23, 1996, saying that the signatories are willing to solve
the contested issue of Prevlaka through negotiations.
Jovanovic also cites conclusions of the so-called Badinter
commission saying that the earlier determined borders between the
republics within the Yugoslav federation are considered to be
borders protected by international law.
Jovanovic also mentions that Croatia is having border disputes also
with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia, which should leave an
impression that the actual problem lies in Croatia's territorial
pretensions.
Jovanovic's letter was distributed on Monday to the ambassadors of
the 15 Security Council countries in a regular procedure. The
Council should adopt a new resolution on the U.N. mandate on
Prevlaka until Thursday.
Croatia's Ambassador to the U.N., Ivan Simonovic, yesterday
commented on the latest report of U.N. Secretary-General regarding
Prevlaka, saying there could be no progress in talks as long as
Yugoslavia was stubbornly refusing to recognise the
internationally recognised borders.
Mediation and arbitration, which the Secretary-General is
discreetly suggesting, are not necessary because the problem is not
the location of the land border but rather that it be recognised and
respected, Simonovic said.
(hina) jn rml