Croatia observing 29th anniversary of international recognition

Following the Croatian Parliament’s decision of 25 June 1991 to declare Croatia’s independence and that of 8 October 1991 to cut all remaining ties with Yugoslavia...

Following the Croatian Parliament’s decision of 25 June 1991 to declare Croatia’s independence and that of 8 October 1991 to cut all remaining ties with Yugoslavia, on this day 29 years ago Croatia became an internationally recognized country. The recognition came during wartime, after Croatia’s army and police forces had defended most of its national territory against the Greater-Serbian aggression.

On 15 January 1992, Croatia was recognized by all 12 member states of then-European Community, as well as Austria, Bulgaria, Canada, Hungary, Malta, Norway, Poland and Switzerland, following recognitions by Slovenia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Latvia, Iceland, Estonia, the Holy See and San Marino. By the end of January 1992, Croatia was recognized by 44 countries, and in May 1992, it joined the United Nations. In the words of the first Croatian president Franjo Tuđman: “On this day, Croatia gained its international legitimacy. Its flag – holy to any man prosecuted and persecuted because of it, will fly free in front of the UN building and all over the world.”

During the past 29 years, Croatia has positioned itself internationally and joined NATO, EU and numerous other international organizations, initiatives and processes. It also made significant contribution to world peace by participating in 19 international peacekeeping missions.

On this day, Croatia is also observing the 23rd anniversary of the peaceful reintegration of its Danube region, the most successful peacekeeping mission (UNTAES) in the history of the UN, now a blueprint for resolving similar crises around the world.

 

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