Croatia–Italy relations

Croatia-Italy relations

Croatia
Italy

Croatia–Italy relations refer to the bilateral relationship between Croatia and Italy. Diplomatic relations among two countries were established on January 17, 1992 following Croatia's independence from SFR Yugoslavia.

Croatia has an embassy in Rome, general consulates in Milan and Trieste, and consulates in Bari, Florence, Naples, and Padua.[1] Italy has an embassy in Zagreb, general consulate in Rijeka, Vice Consulate in Buje, Pula and Split, as well as Italian Cultural Institute and Foreign Trade Institute in Zagreb.[2]

Both countries are full members of NATO and the European Union.

Population

There are around 19,500 people of Italian descent living in Croatia. There are also around 6,000 Molise Croats in Italy.

In addition, there are around 21,000 registered immigrant Croatian workers in Italy.[3]

Historically, the Dalmatian Italians constituted a significant population of Dalmatia.

Economy

Italy is the most important Croatian foreign trade partner in which Croatia exports about 14% of its total annual merchandise.[4]

Esuli/Optanti

See also: Istrian exodus

Croatia and Italy continue to debate bilateral property and ethnic minority rights issues stemming from border changes after World War II.

There are a number of people who are Italian citizens but who had previously been living in what is now Croatian territory before they opted to Italy, shortly after World War II - known as the esuli (exiles) or optanti (volunteers). A later contract between SFR Yugoslavia and Italy prevented the restitution of their property since a deal was made that treated this seized property as war reparations.

Nevertheless, there are now at least two groups of people dissatisfied with the situation:

Neither of these was allowed to pursue in Croatia legally. However, after adoption of the new laws in Croatia (that were required for the accession of Croatia to the EU), it is now allowed to citizens of all member states of the EU to buy real-estate in Croatia.

Fishing

A problem arose with the fishing zones in the Adriatic sea. Italy denied the right of Croatia to proclaim its Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone before January 1, 2008, because that would have broken an earlier agreement with Italy and Slovenia.[5] At the same time Italy, without breaking the agreement, has proclaimed its own zone.

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mvep.hr/hr/predstavnistva/dmkurh-u-svijetu/italija-rim,42.html#p
  2. ↑ http://www.mvep.hr/hr/predstavnistva/veleposlanstva-stranih-drzava-u-rh/italija-zagreb,45.html#p
  3. ↑ http://demo.istat.it/str2006/query.php?lingua=eng&Rip=S0&paese=A12&submit=Tavola
  4. ↑ http://www.index.hr/vijesti/clanak/najvazniji-partner-porast-industrijskih-narudzbi-u-italiji-otvara-mogucnost-rasta-hrvatskog-izvoza/832374.aspx
  5. ↑ "Croatia's Mesic suggests modification of proposed fishing zone likely". SETimes.com. 2008-01-01. Retrieved 2010-06-11.

External links

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