Boundary disputes between the successor states of the SFR Yugoslavia in the Adriatic Sea

Dimitrijević, Duško (2024) Boundary disputes between the successor states of the SFR Yugoslavia in the Adriatic Sea. American Yearbook of International Law, 3. pp. 766-937. ISSN 2732-9925

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Abstract

The dissolution of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) resulted in the transformation of the administrative republican borders into international borders through the application of the international legal principle of uti possidetis. Due to the absence of administrative borders between the Yugoslav republics in the Adriatic Sea, the principle could not be applied to maritime delimitation after the succession of the SFRY. Situation was complicated by the fact that administrative borders were not clearly defined in the hinterland of the Adriatic Sea, which is why it was not possible to apply the general legal principle according to which “the land dominates the sea”. This led to a series of boundary disputes between the successor states, which have not been resolved to this day. Clear political will and consistent application of international law will be necessary to resolve them in the future.

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