1992-2002
: TEN YEARS SINCE CROATIA'S INTERNATIONAL
RECOGNITION
courtesy photo: Croatian
Television
Croatian
Parliament marks the 10th Anniversary
of Croatia’s international recognition
January 15 is considered to be one of the most
important dates in modern Croatian political history. Namely, on that day in
1992, 12 members of the European Union officially recognized Croatia as
a sovereign state.
Croatia, along with Slovenia, was the first to
declare independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on May
30, 1991 which was followed by a fierce war of independence with numerous
victims and mass destruction. Slovenia and Lithuania were among the first
countries to recognize Croatia's sovereignty between June and July 1991,
followed by a number of other countries in December of the same year. The European
Union recognized Croatia on January 15, Russia on February 17 and the United
States on April 7. May 22, 1992 admission to the United Nations made
Croatia an equal member of the international community, and today Croatia has
diplomatic relations with about 120 countries.
Ten years later Croatia is strengthening its democratic institutions and market economy.
Since the Homeland War's official end in 1995, and with the integration of the last
piece of the occupied Croatian land; Croatia has achieved many of its goals in
the foreign affairs arena, such as membership into the WTO, signing the Stabilization and
Association Agreement with the EU, and free trade agreements with members of
CEFTA and EFTA to be mentioned as the most recent and notable ones. These are all
considered to be pre-conditions for its utmost goal, official membership into the EU and NATO.
· CHRONOLOGY OF CROATIA’S INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
· PRESIDENT MESIC FORWARDED GRATITUDE TO THE
HOLY SEE
· PRIME
MINISTER RACAN ON THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF CROATIA’S
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION