Croatia and Montenegro to meet over ‘Jadran’ ship dispute

Croatia and Montenegro will hold their first formal commission meeting on October 9 in Zagreb to address the dispute over the sailing ship ‘Jadran’. The meeting was initiated by the Croatian Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs.

The Montenegrin delegation will be led by Defense Minister Dragan Krapović. Montenegro views the ship as a cultural, historical, and military symbol of the state. Conversely, Croatia claims the vessel is Croatian property and should be returned to Split, where it spent much of its history in the Lora naval base.

Montenegro cites the 2001 Agreement on Succession issues following the breakup of Yugoslavia to assert legal ownership. The Montenegrin government stated that participating in this commission demonstrates its commitment to preserving heritage and strengthening good neighborly relations with Croatia, particularly as it seeks EU membership.