Arbitration Court Suspends Proceedings Between Croatia and Slovenia

Total Croatia News

Another twist in the long border dispute.

The arbitration court has suspended the proceedings in the process of demarcation of the border between Croatia and Slovenia. The termination is not permanent for now, but will last until the arbitration panel considers the legal implications of the Croatian withdrawal from the arbitration proceedings. Then they will decide whether to continue, reports Večernji List on March 19, 2016.

The Court announced the news on Friday, a day after Slovenia explained to the arbitrators why, in its opinion, the process should continue. Croatia even refused to attend the hearing. At the hearing, Slovenia said that the Court had at its disposal all the means necessary to “correct the consequences of possible illegal conduct”.

The withdrawal of two persons involved in these events (illicit communication and influence on the court by Slovenian representative Simona Drenik and Slovenian arbitrator Jernej Sekolec), the appointment of new arbitrators and detailed verification of documents are sufficient measures to correct the alleged violations of the Arbitration Agreement, contended Slovenia at the hearing.

The decision of the Court of Arbitration was commented on by the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs. “Since Slovenia and its actions have caused irreparable harm to the arbitration proceedings and the credibility and independence of the Arbitration Court, its object and purpose can no longer be achieved. Therefore, we expect the arbitral tribunal to without delay complete its work. Croatia is ready, in the spirit of good neighbourly relations and in accordance with international law, to solve the border dispute with Slovenia in bilateral negotiations”, said the Ministry.

Former Prime Minister Zoran Milanović said that the withdrawal from the arbitration proceedings was one of his favourite decision while in power. “The court is now buying time and I think that it will all go towards an immediate and definitive end to arbitration proceedings”, said Milanović.

“As far as Croatia is concerned, the arbitration proceedings do not exist anymore. We had agreed to arbitration and worked hard, but then it was discovered that fraud was happening. This is one step towards the abolition of arbitration”, said former Foreign Minister Vesna Pusić.

 

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