Today is the 15th anniversary of the initialing by the Presidents of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Federal Republic of Yugoslavia of the General Framework Agreement for Peace, later named as Dayton Peace Agreement (DPA), that has ended the Bosnian War, the bloodiest armed conflict Europe witnessed since the Second World War, which has led to the hundreds of thousands of people being massacred and left millions displaced. DPA was officially signed on 14 December 1995 in Paris by the Presidents of the three said Balkan countries, Mr. İzetbegoviç, Mr. Tudjman and Mr. Miloseviç.

As a result of the Agreement, the Bosnian War ended, Bosnia-Herzegovina, which is a state consisting of two parties that are autonomous to a large extend, namely the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina of Bosniaks and Croats and Republika Srpska administered by the Bosnian Serbs was founded and its international borders and the inter entity boundary line were drawn.

Although conditions have changed in the 15 years since the Agreement, Turkey makes intensive efforts for the same woes not to be lived ever again at the point reached today. Turkey contributes directly to the normalization in the region through the Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Serbia and Turkey-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Croatia trilateral consultation mechanisms which were established to that end.

Turkey considers Bosnia and Herzegovina as a neighbor and the heart of the Balkans, and attaches utmost importance to its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and the prosperity and wellbeing of its people. Turkey strongly supports the objective of Bosnia and Herzegovina of becoming a stable, effective and democratic country, its Euro-Atlantic vocation and the reform process and restructuring work needed to achieve that.

Turkey is ready to provide all kinds of support to the new government that will be formed following the 3 October 2010 general elections, which constitutes a turning point for Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress towards these objectives.

On this meaningful day when DPA was initialed, the High Representative of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Valentin Inzko will be visiting Turkey. Tomorrow (22 November), High Representative Inzko is foreseen to be received by the Minister of Foreign Affairs H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu. Mr. Inzko will also have meetings with the Undersecretary Ambassador Feridun Sinirlioğlu and Deputy Undersecretary Ambassador Ayşe Sezgin, and will be giving a conference at The Economic Research Foundation of Turkey (TEPAV).

At the meetings with Mr. Inzko, all the issues concerning BiH, including its relations with the other regional countries will be taken up.

Turkey’s efforts towards the reinforcement of peace, stability and prosperity of Bosnia and Herzegovina will continue in the period ahead.