Fifty years of Osimo Treaty

On the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Treaty of Osimo, signed in October 1975 and entering into force two years later, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs highlights its importance in the positive resolution of numerous previously outstanding issues, as well as in the development of cross-border cooperation.
 
It is particularly important to recall the steps that led to the completion and comprehensive regulation of maritime delimitation between Croatia and Italy.
 
Following the 1968 Agreement on the Delimitation of the Continental Shelf in the Adriatic Sea - with its delimitation line later precisely determined in July 2005 - the 1975 Treaty of Osimo established the state border in the Gulf of Trieste, which in the relevant part today forms the maritime state border and the line of delimitation of the territorial seas between Croatia and Italy.
 
In May 2022, Croatia and Italy signed the historic Agreement on the Delimitation of Exclusive Economic Zones, which entered into force in April 2024 and stands as an example of good-neighbourly relations and the result of intensive joint work and dialogue. With this agreement, following the aforementioned 1968 Agreement and the 1975 Treaty of Osimo, the issue of maritime delimitation between Croatia and Italy in the Adriatic has been conclusively and permanently regulated.
 
Croatia and Italy today maintain very close, friendly, and partner relations. Cooperation has intensified over the past several years and has developed across a broad range of areas of shared interest, with many projects of significance for both our countries and our citizens being successfully implemented. Numerous high-level meetings are characterised by sincere discussions on the issues that connect us. The two countries also work closely within the European Union, NATO, and other regional and multilateral organisations, particularly in the Mediterranean, promoting European values for the benefit of our neighbourhood, our continent, and beyond.
 
The foundation of our bilateral relations lies in strong economic ties and in the preservation and sustainable use of the resources of the Adriatic Sea, while the Croatian minority in Italy and the Italian minority in Croatia serve as lasting bonds that further enrich our relationship.

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