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Kosovo and Macedonia have reached a border agreement, ending a long dispute over a volatile border region. Kosovo’ parliament ratified the agreement on the location of the border late Friday. Prime Minister Hashim Thaci told a parliament session the agreement will boost regional cooperation and stability.

Macedonia’s parliament has yet to ratify the document. The country’s official news agency MIA says Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki stressed the importance of the border demarcation before the parliament Saturday. The border agreement will pave the way for establishing diplomatic relations between the two Balkan countries.

Macedonia has recognized Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia, but says it will not establish diplomatic relations before the border issue is resolved. The disputed area is populated by ethnic Albanians, who make up a quarter of Macedonia’s two million people. A group of ethnic Albanian militants led an anti-government insurgency at the disputed border in 2001. Police say the area is now used by smugglers.

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BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (BGIS) — Representatives of the government of Barbados and the government of France on Friday signed an agreement on the delimitation of the maritime space between Barbados and France. Signature of the accord was effected on behalf of the government of Barbados by Senator Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and on the French side by Michel Trinquier, non-resident Ambassador of France to Barbados.

Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Maxine McClean, and France’s non-residential Ambassador to Barbados, Michel Trinquier, signing the agreement.

The Agreement delimits the overlap of the 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zones of Barbados and France (in respect of Martinique and Guadeloupe) and, furthermore, provides for the delimitation of the potential overlap between the parties in the maritime space beyond 200 nautical miles, commonly referred to as the extended continental shelf. Both Barbados and France have made submissions to the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) with respect to the delineation of the outer limits of their respective continental shelves and are cooperating in that regard.

The signing of this Agreement represents the culmination of three rounds of formal negotiations held between May 2006 and November 2007. The fact that Barbados and France were able to reach such speedy agreement bears testimony to the atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect within which the negotiations were conducted.

In remarks following the signing ceremony, both Minister McClean and Ambassador Trinquier recalled the traditionally warm and cooperative relations that exist between Barbados and France and expressed deep satisfaction at the significant milestone recorded in the relationship through the conclusion and signature of the maritime delimitation treaty.

McClean hailed the Agreement as a tribute to what can be achieved when states approach potentially challenging issues in a spirit of genuine partnership and cooperation. Barbados and France established diplomatic ties in May 1968.

Siti Nurhalisa

Sebagai negara kepulauan dengan kawasan laut yang sangat luas, masih banyak orang Indonesia yang memiliki pengetahuan tak memadai tentang persoalan kemaritiman. Kasus-kasus terkait klaim maritim atau batas maritim sangat mudah menyulut emosi masyarakat yang berdampak buruk. Kasus Ambalat yang terjadi beberapa waktu lalu, misalnya, adalah sebuah indikasi hal itu. Isu hilangnya atau diklaimnya pulau oleh orang atau negara lain juga sangat mudah menjadi berita nasional yang provokatif.

Meskipun dalam hal tertentu saya setuju dengan seorang kawan bahwa provokasi semacam ini dapat meningkatkan nasionalisme rakyat Indonesia, saya tetap yakin bahwa harus ada pihak yang tetap jernih memberi pencerahan dan mengatakan kebenaran. Masih banyak orang yang harus tahu duduk perkara sesuatu peristiwa sebelum memutuskan untuk mengganyang atau mengangkat senjata, apalagi yang dimiliki hanya bambu runcing.

Beberapa waktu lalu saya sempat memaparkan persoalan kemaritimen, terutama terkait kasus Ambalat, di sebuah forum di Paris yang dihadiri oleh banyak orang dari berbagai disiplin ilmu berbeda. Menyampaikan persoalan kemaritiman yang tidak sederhana kepada orang yang tidak berlatar belakang relevan adalah tantangan tersendiri. Saya memutuskan untuk menyampaikan kasus Ambalat dengan berbagai animasi yang dikaitkan dengan isu seksi seperti Siti Nurhalisa yang konon mau diselamatkan meskipun Malaysia sendiri hendak diganyang. Cara ini ternyata cukup efektif untuk membuat orang memperhatikan dan akhirnya bersedia memahami.

Seorang yang memutuskan untuk memilih jalan menuju ‘ahli’ memiliki berbagai tantangan; Tidak saja untuk menjadi ahli itu sendiri, tetapi yang lebih sulit justru adalah membagi keahlian itu kepada orang lain. Dunia maritim pun demikian adanya. Meski semestinya menjadi hal yang lumrah di Indonesia, kenyataannya masih banyak yang harus membagikan ilmu dengan cara yang sederhana dan mudah dipahami agar semakin banyak yang mengerti. Berikut saya sajikan makalah yang dinyatakan sebagai juara umum di Paris termasuk presentasinya yang juga diterima dengan baik oleh khalayak.

amhist.ist.unomaha.edu

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the world was faced with a new meaning of borders. Arguably, the fall of the Berlin Wall appeared to tell us that borders were no longer required. For the first time, the expression “borderless world” was used. It was also supported by similar ideas such as globalization, free trade, etc. Our world seems to be borderless, where the exchange of goods and services is much easier than before. Does it mean that borders are no longer important?

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