The accords which were the result of days-long negotiations held in Dayton, Ohio, in November 1995, and which were signed officially in Paris on 14 December that year, put an end to the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, dividing the country into the two entities, one of them being called the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the other the Republic of Srpska.
"I believe that all countries and all peoples in your region have their place in Europe," Chirac said when he received Ivo Miro Jovic, the current chairman of the three-man presidency, and the other two members, Sulejman Tihic and Borislav Paravac.
The French head of state said that it was necessary to strengthen democratic institutions and encourage the coexistence of the communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He spoke about the problem of Radovan Karadzic and Ratko Mladic, indictees wanted by the Un war crimes tribunal, Chirac's aides said after the meeting.
According to the same source, the French government believes that it is now time to go a step further from the Dayton agreement the purpose of which was to impose peace to those parties that did not want peace.
In this context the country's European prospect is the only way to make that step forward.
On 25 November this year, Sarajevo began negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union.