Albania - Greece Agreement on Setting Maritime Boundaries, According to International Law

Abstract

On March 19, 2009, in Tirana has ended the negotiations and initialed the "Agreement between Greece and Albania on the delimitation of continental shelf and other maritime areas belonging, according to the International Law". This agreement was signed in Tirana, from the two respective Ministers of Foreign Affairs, on April 27, 2009. Since its introduction, the agreement states that "the maritime borders between Albania and Greece, will be determined on the basis of equity distance expressed by the medium line". Merits of the case would require study of the complete file of the agreement, including the texts of the agreement in three languages: English, Greek and English, as well as the maps of the agreement, which has so far has not been made public. Emphasize that Albania has ratified UNCLOS, on June 23, 2003, while Greece on July 21, 1995. This agreement was ratified by the Albanian parliament, but was unapproved by the Albanian Constitutional Court, arguing that conflicted with the Constitution of Albania and the UN Third Convention of the International Law of the Sea of the year 1982. The paper will address the importance of signing this agreement, in the context of historical, economic and geopolitical, as well as losses or profits caused by its unapproval.

DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n3p143