Island of Vukovar

Island of Vukovar

Disputed island Native name: Вуковарска ада Other names: Vukovarska ada
Geography
Location	Danube
Coordinates
Total islands	1
Area	32,000 square metres (7.9 acres)
Length	3.80 kilometres (2.36 mi)
Width	595 metres (1,952 ft)
Administered by
Serbia
Claimed by
Croatia
County	Vukovar-Srijem County
Serbia
Island maintained by Sports Recreation Society Dunav (Vukovar).

See also: Croatia–Serbia border dispute

The Island of Vukovar (Serbo-Croatian: Vukovarska ada / Вуковарска ада, pronounced [ʋûkoʋaːrskaː ǎːda] or [-ǎda]) is a disputed island on the river Danube. It is situated close to the city of Vukovar.

During the existence of SFR Yugoslavia the island was part of SR Croatia. In 1991 Croatia declared independence. It was the opinion of the Badinter Arbitration Committee that the borders between the republics should become the borders between the countries, but it was under Serbian control like other parts of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem (east Croatia) at the time. In the Croatian War of Independence, the Yugoslav People's Army and Serbian paramilitary forces occupied the island. After the Erdut Agreement in 1998, Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srem were rejoined with Croatia, but the island of Vukovar was left under Serbian military occupation. A similar situation has happened with the Island of Šarengrad.

In 2004 Serbia mostly withdrew its army from the island, but the police completely took over border control only in 2006.

In 2006, the island's beaches were opened to the public for the first time since the war. The island is maintained by Vukovar's Sports Recreation Society Dunav. For the first time in 16 years, Croatian citizens were allowed on the island without passports or border permits. This border regime applies during summer months (until September 15) between 7 a.m and 8 p.m.

One part of the peace agreements has been the short term deal that Croatia will control the western part and Serbia eastern part of the Danube. The official Serbian position is that the Badinter Arbitration Committee opinion is not valid and that this short-term deal between Croatia and Serbia will become the future border between the states so that the island of Vukovar is part of Serbia because it is nearer to the Serbian coast of Danube, while Danube is navigable only from the side toward Croatia.

In his statement for daily newspaper Novi list in February 2012, Croatian President Ivo Josipović said that countries need a flexible solution for the border disputes on the Danube river which would be a combination of solutions proposed by both countries. The Croatian president said that whatever the adopted solution, it would be good if the Island of Vukovar eventually remained on the Croatian side of border.