26th anniversary of Croatia's international recognition

On 15 January 1992, Croatia’s independence and sovereignty was recognised by then-member states of the European Community

On 15 January 1992, Croatia’s independence and sovereignty was recognised by then-member states of the European Community, as well as Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Norway and Switzerland. 15 January is therefore celebrated as the day of Croatia’s international recognition. Croatia had previously been recognized by Iceland, the Holy See and San Marino, as well as then not yet internationally recognized Slovenia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia and Estonia. The European Community’s recognition prompted other European and world countries to do the same and by end-January 1992 Croatia was recognized by as many as 44 countries.

In his address on that day, Croatia’s then-president Franjo Tuđman said that 15 January 1992 would be engraved in gold into the 14-century-long history of the Croatian people. In a little more than 25 years, Croatia has internationally affirmed itself as a member of the leading European and global organizations, UN, EU, NATO, as well as numerous other international initiatives and processes.   

Today we also observe the 20^th anniversary of the peaceful reintegration of until-then occupied Danube River Region into Croatia’s constitutional and legal order. The Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) is considered one of the most successful missions in the history of the UN and still serves as an example for resolving similar situations worldwide.  

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