- Published: 12.12.2025.
30 Years After Dayton: Leading the Way with Local Solutions
The conference was opened by Minister Gordan Grlić Radman, who underscored the importance of the Dayton Agreement as a foundational document for the establishment of peace, while also emphasizing the need for stronger engagement by the international community and local stakeholders in Bosnia and Herzegovina to ensure stability, institutional functionality, and the country’s European perspective.
The keynote address at the opening was delivered by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. “Our sole interest is the same one we defended in the 1990s: a stable, functional, and prosperous neighbouring country in which Bosniaks, Serbs, and Croats, as well as all other citizens, enjoy equal rights and equal dignity, and where no one feels like a second-class citizen in their own country,” the prime minister stated.
In her address, the U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Nicole McGraw emphasized: “The Dayton Peace Agreement was critical for Bosnia and Herzegovina and the entire region: it ended the war, affirmed the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and enabled reconstruction and the building of a future. Despite its shortcomings, it has preserved peace for three decades. Thirty years later, we must look to the future. As far as Bosnia and Herzegovina is concerned, the United States is no longer pursuing ‘nation-building’ or strong interventions; what is now required are local solutions and local leadership that represents all three constituent peoples.”
The conference brought together high-level participants from the Republic of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Europe, and beyond. The diverse composition of participants enabled a comprehensive overview of the processes that have shaped the current situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three panel discussions addressed the current political context in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as its Euro-Atlantic path. Particular attention was devoted to the constitutional foundations of Bosnia and Herzegovina and to the equality and full parity of its three constituent peoples. It was emphasized that Bosnia and Herzegovina can become a success story only if its historical roots and specific characteristics - embedded in the Washington and Dayton Peace Agreements - are fully respected.
The entire event was livestreamed and remains available on the official YouTube channel of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia, allowing the wider public to follow the discussions and gain a deeper understanding of the significance of the Dayton Peace Agreement in today’s regional and European context.