ZAGREB, June 29, 2017 (Xinhua) -- Croatia has rejected the ruling made by the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague on Thursday that gives Slovenia a victory in its maritime dispute with Croatia.
The PCA on Thursday awarded Slovenia greater part of the disputed waters and and a "junction corridor" to the high sea through the Croatian territorial waters.
Croatia was not present in the courtroom of the Peace Palace in The Hague and did not attend the announcement of the ruling.
Croatia withdrew from the arbitration process in July 2015, claiming repeatedly it was "irreparably compromised" by Slovenia's illegal actions and making clear it will not accept the ruling and comply with it.
Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic told the parliament on Wednesday that Croatia would not formally accept the decision of the PCA, but would learn about it online, and that Croatia has no obstacles in protecting its national interests.
Croation Foreign Minister Marija Pejcinovic Buric later also confirmed that Croatia would not receive the arbitration decision.
The arbitration process was agreed by the two countries in an EU-brokered agreement that lifted Slovenia's veto on Croatia's EU accession in 2009. Enditem
