Gulf of Piran

Slovenian fishermen whom Croatia has been fining for fishing in waters that a border arbitration tribunal awarded to Slovenia in 2017 have turned to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg after exhausting all legal possibilities for an appeal in Croatia.

Portorož – As the EUSAIR Strategy Forum and the Slovenian presidency of the Adriatic and Ionian Initiative (AII) comes to an end, renewed “Protect the Sea” signs were presented in Portorož on Wednesday. They are to help raise awareness about climate change and its impact on the marine and coastal environment.

In setting the land border between Slovenia and Croatia on 29 June 2017, the international tribunal largely followed the cadastral borders of municipalities, which means that in many areas the border line remains troublesome for the locals, especially along the Mura river and in the south-eastern region of Bela Krajina.

The Hague-based court's decision concerns the maritime border dispute in the Bay of Piran.

According to a poll, whose results were published on Monday by the Ljubljana daily Delo, 54 percent of respondents said they viewed Croatia as a country that "cannot be trusted," while 24 percent said it is "a problematic state."

Slovenian and Croatian PMS Miro Cerar and Andrej Plenkovic will meet next week to discuss the implementation of the ruling on the Piran Bay border dispute.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarevic is in Warsaw, Poland, where she will discuss the recent Piran Bay decision with US President Donald Trump.

Photo: REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

Slovenian Foreign Minister Karl Erjavec has announced that his country will send a protest note to Croatia over an incident in the Piran Bay.

Slovenia has been given three quarters of the Bay of Piran, the Court of Arbitration has ruled.

Slovenia, which has been in dispute with Croatia over its sea border for years, will not have direct access to international waters, but has been granted passage through the Croatian part of the sea in this area.

BELGRADE - Earlier this month, the Croatian Embassy in Slovenia sent leading Slovenian officials — including officials in the offices of the prime minister and the president — boxes of chocolates with labels reading "Greetings from Croatia."

But the Christmas gift wasn't appreciated.

Hearings at the Hague-based court for the resolution of international disputes began on Monday with Croatia presenting its case, as Zagreb and Ljubljana attempted to settle a dispute that has continued since they both became independent from the former Yugoslavia.