On 15 January Croatia marks the 22nd anniversary of international recognition, the day when in 1992 all twelve members of the then-European Community recognized Croatia’s sovereignty and independence.
Today we also mark the 16th anniversary of the peaceful reintegration of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium. On this day in 1998 one of the most successful peacekeeping operations ended – the UN Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES).
This is the first time we are commemorating this anniversary as a full-fledged EU member state, a country which in these 22 years has realized its key strategic goals – from international recognition and defence to joining NATO and the EU.
As late as 1992 European Community observers and UN forces were deployed in Croatia, while as early as 1999 Croatia sent its first representatives to a UN peacekeeping mission in Africa. Today, Croatia is actively participating in development and humanitarian projects, notably those aimed at stabilizing post-conflict societies and empowering women and girls.
With the international recognition 22 years ago Croatia set forth as a sovereign and independent country which, through its foreign policy activities and as a responsible member of the international community, is contributing to peace, stability and sustainable development. Croatia has positioned itself within the EU institutions, is active in the region by supporting Euro-Atlantic processes and using technical assistance instruments, cooperates with its NATO partners and actively participates in multilateral forums.