Slovenia reported on Saturday no major incidents as it began exercising sovereignty over most of a disputed bay following an international arbitration ruling that fellow EU member Croatia rejects. The Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in June allocated Slovenia more than two-thirds of Piran Bay, seeking to end a dispute with Croatia that has raged since the break-up of Yugoslavia 25 years ago.
The arbitration court set Saturday as the date for the decision to enter into force. But Croatia, which claims half of the picturesque body of water in the Adriatic Sea, refuses to accept the ruling. Early Saturday three Croatian fishing boats entered the waters now claimed by Slovenia, accompanied by Croatian police patrol boats, Slovenian authorities said. The fishermen were told to leave and had their details taken pending a fines.
Authorities in Croatia said that the boats were retrieving fishing nets laid the night before and that they left after collecting their nets and being warned. Otherwise there was no major incidents, however, senior Slovenian interior ministry official Bostjan Sefic told AFP at Koper police station, where the bay was being watched. "We are supervising the Slovenian sea territory and have the situation absolutely under control," Sefic said.
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