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NATO and the Recent Geopolitical Situation in the Adriatic Sea

In the article the author discusses some geopolitical facts about the Adriatic Sea region after some independent states appeared again on the international scene, and NATO spread towards East. The new situation caused some new geostrategic relations on the Adriatic Sea as well as in the Mediterranean zone. After the fall of the communist dominance over the Eastern world and the collapse of Warsaw Pact, the geopolitical situation in the Adriatic and Black sea regions changed too. The disintegration and establishing of new states in the region, as well as the war situation (1991 to 1995) in ex Yugoslavia (SFRY) brought completely new geopolitical situation. In the frame of Serbian aggression, the Adriatic Sea zone was included in only a few war actions undertaken in the Croatian part of the Sea by ex Yugoslav Navy forces in order to keep on the control over the zone. But, the most important strategic part of the Adriatic, the Strait of Otranto, remained under the control of the main powers, especially of NATO, whose members are Italy and Greece. Albania, Macedonia, Slovenia and Croatia joined the Partnership for Peace (1995-2001). That is why the conflict did not disperse out of the local zone of the internal Adriatic, which has been controlled by Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and new FR Yugoslavia (Montenegro). The war in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina lasted until 1995. When the war crisis came to an end, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina stabilised their borders. But in FR Yugoslavia conflicts were growing more and more (Kosovo), which resulted in the war in 1999. NATO and international forces were included, their main military basis being in Aviano (Italy). Some problems connected with sea border defining, should obviously be solved by the strict application of international sea law orders as soon as possible.

NATO, Adriatic Sea, SE Europe, Croatian littoral, geopolitics

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