The alleged “regatta for reason” will take place on 3 February.
The ultimatum which Homeland War veterans had given to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković regarding the border dispute between Croatia and Slovenia has expired. The initiator of the ultimatum, Petar Janjić Tromblon, sent a letter to the media in which he revealed that the ships would go into the Bay of Piran on 3 February at 10:00, adding that it was “a regatta for reason,” reports Index.hr on January 8, 2018.
“As a Croatian veteran and a citizen of Croatia who has followed the unreasonable communication and irresponsible diplomatic behaviour of governments of Croatia and Slovenia for a long time, I have launched an initiative whose goal is to speed up the resolution of the border issue.
Accordingly, I have planned to carry out an action of Croatian war veterans, fishermen, intellectuals and all other reasonable people from both Croatia and Slovenia, who would ultimately demand an urgent resolution of this extremely important, dangerous and unnecessary problem. I think that civil society organisations from all segments of society in both of the two friendly countries must take appropriate steps to try to bring the two governments to table.
I have initiated a human action and appeal for peaceful and quick resolution of the problem called “Regatta for Reason – Bay of Piran – Gulf of Savudrija”, which will take place on 3 February 2018, starting at 10 am in Umag.
I have been contacted by citizens from all over the country (over 300 people, war veterans, fishermen, boat owners from Dalmatia and Istria, intellectuals and all other well-intentioned and reasonable citizens of Croatia) who want to sail to the Bay of Piran. I have made the decision to organise for large tourist boats to take us to the bay. I have also been contacted by leaders of other veterans’ associations and sports fan associations who will join us,” wrote Janjić.
He also published a detailed programme of the “regatta.”
“Participants will gather at the waterfront in Umag where we will board the vessels at 10:00. A ticket will cost 50 kuna per person. In the case of adverse weather conditions, the action will be delayed for the next day. The ships will sail to today's internationally recognised sea border between Croatia and Slovenia. At the halfway point in the bay, each association will throw wreaths for all the dead and missing Croatian war veterans into the sea. We will have a minute of silence, with ship sirens afterwards. All people who want to come with their own boats are welcome.
After 60 minutes, the participants will return to Umag where a ceremony will take place. There will be a stage from which eminent scientists, historians, representatives of veterans' associations, Croatian fishermen and representatives of NGOs from Istria will give speeches. We will issue a joint request to the government for the urgent and fair resolution of this issue according to the international law.
This action will be organised as a warning about even more significant problems that would undoubtedly happen in the future if the two states quickly do not come to an agreement.
I emphasise that this is a peaceful action and I warn the Slovenian police not to interfere with us while honouring the deceased Croatian war veterans. If they violate the territorial integrity of Croatia through unauthorised entry into the Croatian sea, they will bear the responsibility for all possible unwanted and unplanned consequences.”
Translated from Index.hr.
