INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE YEAR 1978 19.78 19 December General List No. 62 19 December 1978 AEGEAN SEA CONTINENTAL SHELF CASE (GREECE v. TURKEY) JURISDICTION OF THE COURT Pursuit of negotiations during judicialproceedings no impediment to exercise of jurisdiction-Existence of legal dispute. Jurisdiction of the Court-Question of applicability of 1928 General Act for Pacific Settlement of International Disputes and relevance of reservation in Applicant's instrument of accession-Reciprocal enforcement of the reservation in the procedural circumstances of the case. Interpretation of reservation- Whether single resewation or two distinct and autonomous reservations-Grammatical interpretation-Intention of reserving State having regard to the context-Generic meaning of term 'Yisputes relating to territorial statusX-Scope follows evolution of the law-Present dispute regarding entitlement to and delimitation of continental shelf areas relates to territorial status of Greece. Joint communiqué issued by Heads of Government as basis ofjurisdiction-Question of form not conclusive-Interpretation in the light of the context. JUDGMENT Present: President JIMÉNEZDE ARÉCHAGA; Vice-President NAGENDRA SINGH; Judges FORSTER, GROS,LACHS,DILLARD,DE CASTRO,MOROZOV, Sir Humphrey WALDOCK, RUDA,MOSLER,ELIAS,TARAZI;Judge ad hoc Registrar AQUARONE. STASSINOPOULOS;