The Dayton Agreement brought "much-needed peace" to the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina after years of bitter fighting, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said in a video message on Saturday, voicing Ankara’s "strong commitment” to the country’s territorial integrity.
Participating in a virtual event organized by the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Dayton Accords, he said the agreement ended the war and genocide in the country.
The peace deal was reached in Dayton in the U.S. state of Ohio on Nov. 21, 1995, and formally signed in Paris on Dec. 14 the same year. The accord ended the more than three-year-long Bosnian War.
"The achievements of Dayton have been remarkable. That said, many things have changed in the last quarter-century. Therefore, we need to adapt to new realities. We need to have a better functioning system that will increase the welfare of all citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina," said Çavuşoğlu.
He underlined that Turkey has a "strong commitment" to the territorial integrity and fundamental structure of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a single state comprising two entities and the Brcko District in the northern part of the country.
"The integrity, unity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina are crucial for Turkey. It is also a key element for maintaining peace and stability in the Balkans and beyond," said Çavuşoğlu, adding that Ankara also supports efforts to improve regional cooperation for prosperity in the region.
He also stressed Turkey's support of Bosnia-Herzegovina's progress toward Euro-Atlantic integration.
Urging participants to look into the future while not forgetting the past, the Turkish minister said that the suffering of innocent people during the siege of Sarajevo and the Srebrenica genocide is still fresh in everyone's minds.
"Justice and peace go hand in hand. Accountability serves as a strong deterrent for future crimes and also consolidates peace. Remembering the past and honoring those who lost their lives will remind us that we should protect peace at all costs," he said.
The role of high representative was created under the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, usually referred to as the Dayton Agreement. The brutal three-and-a-half-year Bosnian War resulted in around 100,000 deaths and one or worst human rights abuses of the recent past.