According to a press release issued on Sunday by the government, 15 January 1992, when Croatia was internationally recognised, and 15 January 1998, when it successfully completed the peaceful reintegration of its temporarily occupied parts of Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem counties into its constitutional and legal order, were crucial in its recent history.
The government's press release says that these two historic days are remembered with pride in our joint attainments in the last three decades and with the permanent gratitude to Croatian soldiers and all who contributes to the freedom of Croatia.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was quoted as emphasising the importance of the peaceful reintegration which has been one of the most successful peace operations conducted by the United Nations
"This is one of the most important political legacies of the first Croatian President Franjo Tuđman," Plenković underscored.
From a country exposed to the military aggression and whose parts used to be occupied, over the last three decades Croatia has passed a demanding journey and it achieved its freedom after dreaming of it for centuries, it won its international recognition, and today it is a part of the club of the 15 countries that are members of the European Union, NATO, the Schengen Area and the eurozone, Plenković underlines.
This provides us with new development opportunities and binds us to build Croatia as a prosperous democracy respected internationally, he said.
Plenković comments that Croatia's experience of the peaceful reintegration of its eastern areas and its experience from the integration into Europe can help Ukraine in its brave resistence to the brutal Russian aggression.
He reiterated that having been itself a victim of the military aggression, Croatia has also an ethical obligation to stand by Ukraine.
25th anniversary of reintegration
Croatia on Sunday marked the 25th anniversary of the successful completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Danube River Region, which enabled the return of temporarily occupied parts of Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem counties into Croatia's constitutional and legal order.
The completion of the process on 15 January 1998 after a two-year transitional administration under the UN, enabled the reconstruction of the region devastated in the 1991-95 Homeland War, the return of displaced persons and refugees, and the reintegration of enterprises and public services in the region into Croatia's legal system.
Erdut agreement kicks off process of peaceful reintegration
After several meetings with representatives of local Serbs, the start of the reintegration was made possible by the signing of the Basic Agreement on Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem in Erdut and Zagreb on 12 November 1995.
The agreement was signed by Hrvoje Šarinić, the then Croatian president's chief of staff, and Milan Milanović, head of the Serb negotiating delegation, and by then-US ambassador Peter Galbraith and UN mediator Thorvald Stoltenberg.
The agreement envisaged a one-year transitional period which could be extended by another year, the establishment of a UN transitional administration, the deployment of international peacekeeping forces, and the establishment of a transitional police force.
The agreement stipulated that the transitional administration would enable the return of displaced persons and refugees as well as organise local elections.