Slovenia and Croatia: Hey, that’s my bit of the sea

Date: 30/08/03

A new Balkan niggle - over the Adriatic

THEY should build a tunnel between Ljubljana and Belgrade, ran a Yugoslav joke in communist times, so that the Slovenes and Serbs could get along without the Croats getting in the way.

Slovenia and Croatia claim to get on much better nowadays, but tensions remain. Croatians think Slovenia got off lightly with its brief war of independence against Serbia, then helped Croatia far too little with its longer and bloodier struggle. They think the wealthier Slovenians patronise them. And they envy Slovenia its entry into the European Union next year, which will mean much tighter controls on their common border. Croatia is struggling now to be accepted even as a candidate for joining the EU club.

The result is periodic disputes, such as the latest one over control of the Adriatic Sea. Croatia says it may claim an “exclusive economic zone” across the eastern half of the sea, leaving the western half to Italy, and cutting off Slovenia's short coastline at the northern end of the sea from international waters.

The practical consequences for Slovenia would be slight. It would retain transit rights. But Slovenia rightly senses an insult. Diplomatic notes have been flying, and talks now are planned for mid-September.

Slovenians speculate that Croatia wants to explore the Adriatic Sea for oil or gas, or to promote expansion of its oil port near Rijeka, or to hamper the expansion of Slovenia's cargo port at Koper. The more probable cause lies in the approach of Croatian general election later this year. The ruling Social Democrats are under threat from the nationalistic Croatian Democratic Union, and may hope to regain ground with some flag-waving themselves. But such tactics risk repayment in kind. An opinion poll in Slovenia this week found that Croatians are viewed, once again, as Slovenia's least favourite neighbours - by far.

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