Greece Formalizes The 12-Mile Extension In The Ionian Sea, The Maritime Issue With Albania Towards The Hague
Nga OraNews Përditësimi i fundit 25 Dhjetor 2020, 17:20
Greece formalized the expansion of territorial waters north of the Ionian Sea near Albania from 6 to 12 miles. According to Greek media, the way is now open for sending the case to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for the disputed areas.
The Greek government approved the decree to expand the territorial waters from six to twelve miles north of the Ionian Sea. According to the newspaper ProtoThema, the expansion of waters in the Ionian Sea in accordance with the Convention on the Law of the Sea, automatically translates into the expansion of the Exclusive Economic Zone where Greece enjoys the right to discover resources, including the use of wind and water for energy production.
At the same time, the demarcation of the baseline in the Ionian Sea region and the demarcation of the bays, as well as the expansion of territorial waters, now pave the way for the drafting of a Greek-Albanian bilateral request to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
The settlement of the dispute over the maritime border between the two countries in the International Court of Justice was agreed during the visit of Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias in Tirana in the meeting he had with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama.
The dispute dates back to 2009, when the two countries signed an agreement on the delimitation of the sea border, which was later rejected by the Constitutional Court of Albania.
The draft decree envisions expanding Greece's territorial waters from six to twelve miles from the northernmost point of the Othon Islands northwest of Corfu, to Cape Tainaro.
The document of the Hellenic government states that the group of islands Othoni or Diapontia consists of 11 islands and rocks, of which three are in large. According to the draft decree, there are 39 bays and coves in the disputed Ionian Sea area.
The waters enclosed by the shores of these bays and straight lines thus define the inland waters to which the second paragraph of Article 8 of the Convention on the Law of the Sea, which recognizes the "right of safe passage", applies.
