Conference in Zagreb marks anniversary of Dayton Agreement

A conference was held in Zagreb on Friday, organized by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, to mark the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina and established the basis for the country’s current constitutional order.

Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said the anniversary was a reminder of both progress made and the fragility of peace.

“Thirty years ago, in the winter of 1995, the guns finally fell silent over the scarred hills and valleys of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” he said. “The Dayton-Paris Peace Agreement ended the bloodiest conflict on European soil since World War II - a war that, until Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, stood as the darkest chapter in our continent’s recent history.”

He added: “One thing remains painfully clear: peace, once achieved, is never guaranteed. It must be protected, strengthened, and renewed day by day.”

U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Nicole McGraw said it was time for Bosnia and Herzegovina to focus on building a future of shared prosperity.

“Under President Trump’s leadership, the United States’ commitment to peace is unwavering,” she said. “But peace is ultimately everyone’s responsibility, not just America’s.”

“For Croatia and other NATO allies, that means meeting your defense spending commitments - investments that build deterrence and ensure stability.”

Turning to Bosnia and Herzegovina, she emphasized that Washington’s approach has shifted: “As we stated at the UN Security Council this fall, the United States is no longer pursuing nation-building or heavy-handed international intervention. Now is the time for local solutions, led by local actors representing all three constituent peoples.”