Business news from Ukraine

According to the Serbian business media outlet Parametar, Croatia is claiming property worth over $2.7 billion located in Montenegro that remained there following the breakup of Yugoslavia. And this is by no means limited to the well-known training sailing ship “Jadran.”

This was stated by Croatian Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman during a visit to Montenegro. Zagreb has documentation regarding property that ended up on Montenegrin territory and was sold or transferred to other owners after the breakup of Yugoslavia.
Among these, the minister specifically mentioned military ships, submarines, and a military hospital.

The “Jadran” has become the most well-known part of the dispute. The training sailing ship was built in the 1930s and was used by the Yugoslav Navy. The vessel is currently in Montenegro, while Croatia insists on its return.
But the property dispute is only part of a much broader list of Zagreb’s demands on Podgorica.

The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists the following among the unresolved issues:
– the return of the “Jadran” and the settlement of other property claims;
– compensation for former Croatian prisoners of the Morin camp;
– the search for 14 people who are still considered missing in action following the war of the 1990s;
– the investigation and prosecution of war crimes;
– the return of property belonging to Croatian families in Montenegro and the conclusion of protracted court proceedings;
– the preservation of a memorial plaque at the site of the former Morin camp;
– renaming the swimming pool in Kotor named after Zoran Hopčević;
– resolving the maritime border between the two countries.

These issues take on particular significance in light of Montenegro’s EU accession negotiations.
Croatia is already using its status as an EU member state to block the closure of certain negotiation chapters. In September, a planned intergovernmental conference had to be postponed after Zagreb refused to agree to the closure of several chapters.

Currently, Croatia is blocking the closure of chapters related to transport policy, foreign policy and security, the judicial system and fundamental rights, as well as justice, freedom, and security.
Podgorica hopes to conclude negotiations and become the 28th member of the European Union in 2028. However, this date is not guaranteed: the consent of EU member states is required for progress and final accession.

At the same time, Croatia is currently the main source of bilateral demands on Montenegro, which directly affect the negotiation process. There is currently no comparable official set of claims from other EU member states.
This creates a rather interesting situation: the closer Montenegro gets to the EU, the greater the significance of long-standing disputes dating back to the breakup of Yugoslavia.

And Croatia’s property claims, totaling more than $2.7 billion, are now becoming not only a matter of relations between Zagreb and Podgorica but also a potential factor capable of influencing the timing of Montenegro’s accession to the European Union.