19. on 3 June 1985, the rnternational court of Justlce handed alorn its juttgenentin-the case concerning ehe continentar shelf between tlbyan Arab Jamahrrlya andUalta, The Court was reguested to declde what principles and rules of,internatlonal law were applrcable ho the dellnitatlon of the cohtinentar shelfbetween Malta and the Lrbyan Arab Repubrrc, and hoi{ rn practice such pri.ncipres andrulea can be applied by the tr,o SCates. 20. In its judgenent, the Court stated $hat principles and rules of lnternationallas were applicable to the derrnitation of th; continentar sherf between the reostates and the circunstances and factora to be taken into consideracion in order toachieve an equitabre der-initation. Accordlngly, in thls case, it declarett that aneguitable reeult should be obtained first by dtrawing bet',reen the 13' 50, and the15'l0r neridians ? nedtan lrne, of urrich eirery point la equr.aristant frm the ro$wtter nark of the relesant coastg of Marta, on the one hand, and of the Libyan ArabJanahirlya, on the other, and by then transposing lhis rine northnard by rgr and asto lntersect the 15' I0'E !0erialian at a latitude of approxinately 34. 30, N. 17/ 2L. fn its decl€ion, the Court made Eone slgnl.ficant. obaervations on thecooaequences for the derinltation of the continentar- shelf betrreen states of theadoption of the concept of the exclustve economlc zone as enbodied in the uniEedNations conventlon on the Lae of the sea. The folrourng ia a brief synopsis ofthese observations.py' 40 /923 English Pag e 9 22. tbe Court noted that' although the caae related only to the delinitatlon of the continental shelf and not to Ebat of the excluslve econonic zone' the principles and rules underlying the Latter concept could not be left out of qonsideratlon. The Court Btated that'.as che 1982 convention denonstrated' the tvfo lnatitulions - continental shelf and exclusive economic zone - uere linked together in mdern law. Since the rights enjoyed by a State over lte contlnental Ehelf {ould also be possessed by it over the eea-bed and aubsoll of any excluaive econonic zone rrhich it nighE proclain, one of the relevant circumstancea to be
**Analysis**
The text appears to be discussing a legal case related to the delimitation of the continental shelf between two countries, Malta and Libya, and the principles and rules of international law applicable to this issue. The case is likely related to the exploration and management of natural resources, particularly in the context of the exclusive economic zone.

**Category**
Natural resources and environment, International trade