25 years since the signing of the Washington Agreement

(Patria) - 25 years ago, the Washington Agreement was signed, which stopped the conflicts between the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) and an armistice was concluded.

The agreement was signed on March 18, 1994, by the then-Bosnia and Herzegovina Prime Minister Haris Silajdžić, Croatian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mate Granić, and the President of the then-Herceg-Bosnia Krešimir Zubak.

In addition to the agreed armistice between the ARBiH and HVO, the Washington Agreement also abolished Herceg-Bosnia and agreed on the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, consisting of ten cantons. Cantons were introduced to prevent the dominance of one nation over another, i.e., the dominance of Bosniaks over Croats and vice versa. 

The Washington Agreement was intended to be only the first phase of the agreement between the three nations in BiH, while the second phase would include the Republic of Srpska in the negotiations. The plan was to establish a cantonal system at the level of the entire BiH, which would mean that the RS entity would not exist, but this plan was not realized.

Some of the leading figures of the HDZ in BiH, as well as the HDZ from Zagreb, are once again advocating for the return of Herceg-Bosnia.