Integrity of Dayton Agreement rests on the full equality of its three constituent peoples, not on majoritarian dominance

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Croatia’s role in securing peace was not incidental — it was critical and indispensable. Our leadership, military actions, and diplomatic engagement helped end the war and pave the way for reconstruction and reconciliation. The Dayton Accords did not resolve all of the region’s challenges, but they opened the door to a better, peaceful future — one that we must continue to protect and build upon. Croatia has remained fully committed to upholding the Dayton framework. As we mark 30 years since Dayton, let us renew our commitment to the ideals that brought us here. Croatia understands what it means to fight for freedom and peace. We know that once achieved, peace must be protected — through resolve, dialogue, and partnership. Let this Assembly remind us that we are stronger together. And that together, we must continue to stand for the values that define us, Prime Minister Plenković said today in Dayton.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković spoke today at the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Dayton, United States, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement.
 
The Prime Minister's speech, after the introductory greetings, is presented in its entirety.
 
“First, allow me to express my deepest condolences on the passing of Congressman Gerald Connolly, former President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly. His leadership in strengthening transatlantic ties will not be forgotten. This gathering in Dayton is part of that enduring legacy.
 
Croatia’s Early Support for Bosnia and Herzegovina
 
It is a distinct privilege to be here in Dayton — a city that became a symbol of peace when the Dayton Agreement brought an end to what was then the most devastating conflict in Europe since World War II.
 
Sadly, that tragic milestone has now been overtaken by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which I strongly condemn.
 
I speak to you today as the Prime Minister of Croatia — a country that, in the 1990s, stood resolutely against aggression, safeguarded its sovereignty, and played a vital role in shaping the foundations of peace throughout our region.
 
In those defining years, under the leadership of our first President, the late Franjo Tuđman, Croatia not only fought to defend and ultimately liberate its own occupied territory, but also contributed decisively to broader peace-building efforts beyond its borders.
 
At the very outset of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s path to independence, Croatia stood firmly by its side.
 
First and foremost, it is important to recall that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s independence would not have been possible without the sincere and decisive support of the Croatian people — one of the country’s three constituent peoples, who have lived there for centuries.
 
In the 1992 independence referendum, Croats joined Bosniaks in overwhelmingly voting for the country’s sovereignty, helping to secure the required majority despite the Serbian boycott.
 
Just one month later, as Serbian forces — backed by the Yugoslav People’s Army — launched a full-scale assault on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia was among the first countries to recognize its independence, doing so on April 7, 1992, alongside the United States.
 
It was also the first country to open an embassy in Sarajevo, even as the city came under siege — despite the fact that parts of Croatian territory were still under occupation.
 
Throughout the war, Croatia remained Bosnia and Herzegovina’s steadfast ally.
 
We provided shelter for nearly 700,000 refugees from Bosnia and Herzegovina, including both Croats and Bosniaks, while also caring for up to half a million of our own displaced citizens.
 
Just as crucial was the fact that all military and humanitarian support for Bosnia’s defense — including supplies to both the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) — was delivered exclusively through Croatian territory.
 
Without Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina would have struggled to sustain its defense against the aggression it faced for more than three years.
 
Bridging the Divide: Restoring the Bosniak-Croat Alliance
 
In 1993, internal conflict unfortunately erupted between Croats and Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina — former allies caught in a tragic turn of events.
 
Although Serbs made up less than a third of the population, Serb forces had seized three-quarters of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s territory, forcing Croats and Bosniaks into an ever-shrinking and unsustainable space.
 
At the same time, flawed international peace plans reinforced ethnic divisions by suggesting that each group would ultimately retain the territory it controlled, further fuelling mistrust and confrontation between Croats and Bosniaks.
 
Despite this, Croatia worked tirelessly to restore their alliance.
 
We continued to treat wounded Bosniak soldiers in Croatian hospitals and to deliver humanitarian aid and weapons to both Croat and Bosniak forces.
 
Croatia also engaged in close diplomatic coordination with Washington and Ankara to help end this secondary and tragic conflict among the victims of the same aggression.
 
These efforts culminated in the signing of the Washington Agreement in March 1994, which ended hostilities between Croats and Bosniaks and laid foundation for a unified military and political front in the defense of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
Joint Military Operations and the Road to Dayton
 
Just over a year later, in July 1995 — days after the genocide in Srebrenica — President Tuđman and the late President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, signed the Split Declaration.
 
This formalized a military partnership, allowing the Croatian Army to assist both the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) in joint operations that liberated large swaths of Serb-held territory.
 
During Operation Storm, the most important military and police operation in Croatia, in August 1995, while liberating a fifth of its own territory under the occupation, Croatia also broke the years-long siege of the Bihać enclave in northwestern Bosnia.
 
There, 140,000 Bosniaks had been surrounded by Serb forces for more than three years.
 
This not only saved countless lives, but also eliminated a major strategic threat and further shifted the balance on the ground — accelerating the path to peace.
 
These joint successes on the battlefield proved decisive.
 
They led Serbia’s President Milošević to accept negotiations with Presidents Tuđman and Izetbegović.
 
Those talks resulted in the Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement in December 1995.
 
Strategic Concessions for Peace
 
Equally significant — and often overlooked — was Croatia’s responsible political decision, made in coordination with the United States, to withdraw from over 2,500 square kilometers of recently liberated territory in western Bosnia.
 
This concession allowed for a negotiated territorial balance between the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, in line with the 51:49 framework imposed by the international community.
 
In return, the Serb side agreed to lift the siege of Sarajevo and to establish a corridor linking the besieged Bosniak enclave of Goražde to the rest of the Federation.
 
This breakthrough was not achieved by military intervention or international mediation alone.
 
It was enabled by Croatia’s strategic restraint and its commitment to peace.
 
That decision proved pivotal.
 
It removed the final obstacles to peace and directly contributed to the successful conclusion of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

Upholding the Dayton Framework

Croatia’s role in securing peace was not incidental — it was critical and indispensable.

Our leadership, military actions, and diplomatic engagement helped end the war and pave the way for reconstruction and reconciliation.
 
The Dayton Accords did not resolve all of the region’s challenges, but they opened the door to a better, peaceful future — one that we must continue to protect and build upon.
 
Croatia has remained fully committed to upholding the Dayton framework.
 
As both a signatory and guarantor of the Agreement, we have invested consistent political, economic, and diplomatic capital to support Bosnia and Herzegovina’s stability and progress.
 
I am also pleased to recognize Dr. Mate Granić, one of the principal architects and witnesses of that historic peace process — Croatia’s former Foreign Minister, a signatory of the Washington Agreement, and the country’s lead negotiator at the Dayton Peace Accords.
 
Minister Granić now serves as my advisor and is with us here today.
 
We also recall the tireless efforts of the late Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, whose vision and diplomacy were instrumental to the success of Dayton.
 
As his own writings make clear, the integrity of the Agreement rests on the full equality of its three constituent peoples — not on majoritarian dominance.
 
Let me be clear: Croats are one of the three constituent peoples of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
 
Their status is guaranteed by the country’s Constitution, itself an annex to the Dayton Agreement.
 
That status was respected and upheld during the lifetime of President Alija Izetbegović.
 
As a co-signatory of the Agreement, he honored its spirit and understood the importance of equality among the country’s people.
 
Unfortunately, this principle has been trampled by the repeated practice of illegitimate election of the Croat Member of the BiH tripartite Presidency and resulting in already four electoral cycles where Croats have been outvoted by Bosniaks and deprived of a chance to elect their legitimate representative.
 
That is why we continue to advocate for genuine political dialogue, electoral reform, and institutional functionality that respects the rights of all three constituent peoples: Croats, Bosniaks, Serbs and others.
 
Commitment to the Region and the Alliance
 
As a reliable NATO ally and loyal EU member, Croatia is equally committed to the broader stability and European perspective of the Western Balkans.
 
We believe in a merit-based, reform-driven path to EU and NATO membership for all aspirants in our neighborhood.
 
This will make them more resilient, prosperous, and better integrated — while strengthening Europe as a whole.
 
NATO’s role in Southeast Europe remains as critical today as it was in the 1990s.
 
NATO is a pillar of peace, a guarantor of security, and a framework for cooperation and trust-building.
 
This Parliamentary Assembly has been a cornerstone of NATO’s democratic legitimacy for over 70 years.
 
It is a forum where all voices are heard and where transatlantic unity is forged.
 
Today, our values face unprecedented challenges.
 
Russia’s continued war against Ukraine has shaken the very foundation of Europe’s security architecture.
 
The rise of hybrid threats, disinformation, economic coercion, and renewed geopolitical rivalry demands unity, strategic clarity, and political will.
 
In this context, we commend the enduring leadership of the United States in ensuring peace and security across Europe.
 
But we also know that European allies must do more.
 
Since 2016, my three consecutive governments have increased Croatia’s defense budget by three times.
 
We now exceed NATO’s 2% of GDP benchmark, with 30-40% of that allocated to modernizing our Armed Forces.
 
The upcoming NATO summit will result in historic decisions, which will further solidify our transatlantic alliance.
 
Agreement on increased defense spending is within reach.
 
With it, the allies will benefit from reinvigorated transatlantic defense industry, increased defense capabilities and strengthened deterrence.
 
All of this matters for our individual and collective security on both sides of the Atlantic - and the summit in The Hague will make sure that NATO remains its bedrock.
 
As Europe strengthens its defenses, American engagement remains vital — not only as a deterrent force but as a driver of peace, from Dayton in 1995 to today.
 
Croatia highly appreciates the transatlantic partnership with the United States.
 
It is foundational to our foreign and security policy.
 
Conclusion: Stronger Together
 
As we mark 30 years since Dayton, let us renew our commitment to the ideals that brought us here.
 
Croatia understands what it means to fight for freedom and peace.
 
We know that once achieved, peace must be protected — through resolve, dialogue, and partnership.
 
Let this Assembly remind us that we are stronger together.
 
And that together, we must continue to stand for the values that define us.
 
Thank you very much for this opportunity.”



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