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4: CASE STUDY 1: THE ITALIAN/SLOVENIAN BORDER<br />
near the border, particularly at night and in the mornings bodies were<br />
removed by the guards (Velušček and Medved 2002). The borders were<br />
heavily guarded on both sides and even if particular passes and visas were<br />
given to people who lived near the border these crossings were heavily<br />
regulated. People from other parts of Yugoslavia or from further east in<br />
Europe were often denied visas to cross. In 1948 Yugoslavia was expelled<br />
from Cominform, the organisation of communist parties dominated by the<br />
Soviet Union, following a resolution in Bucharest on the 28 th June (Benson<br />
2004:94). After the break with the Soviet Union in 1948 there was some<br />
relaxing of the border security, however, during the 1950s the border was<br />
still intensely patrolled and those people within the area who were considered<br />
suspicious were often brought in for questioning. This could<br />
include people working in the area who had to be able to identify themselves<br />
when asked. Many people used the border to Italy as an escape route<br />
from the Eastern bloc. During the 1960s and onwards the security at the<br />
border was slowly toned down. This coincided with the economic upswing<br />
seen in Yugoslavia during the 1960s which led to more open borders and<br />
increased trade and exchange with Western Europe.<br />
The Osimo Treaty that signed on 10 November 1975 in order to finally<br />
settle the border between Italy and Yugoslavia and deal with several problematic<br />
areas where tension had been rising along the border established in<br />
1954. Although the border had been recognised and established at the<br />
Memorandum of London, in which Zone A, previously under allied government,<br />
was handed over to Italy there had been many disputes regarding the<br />
validity of the border. Its problematic route through mixed ethnic areas<br />
made it subject to constant challenge from both Italian and Yugoslavian<br />
sides (Ballinger 2003:92). Through the Osimo Treaty Italy and Yugoslavia<br />
agreed to a few adjustments to the border line to solve particular problems<br />
caused by the border. Examples of two of these changes can be seen in the<br />
study area. The first was of more practical nature along the border by Nova<br />
Gorica railway station where the border was moved a few metres eastwards<br />
in order to create more space on the Italian side. This was to make the<br />
streets here more accessible to larger vehicles, such as emergency services.<br />
The second change was seen on the top of Mount Sabotino/Sabotin where<br />
the border was again moved eastwards in one section so that it ran along the<br />
top of the mountain. This was a trade in order for Yugoslavia to be granted<br />
the rights to build a road corridor through a small section of Italian<br />
territory. This road was to be called Strada di Osimo in Italian and Osimska<br />
cesta in Slovenian and was opened in 1985. Apart from a better view to the<br />
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