Djuric: Serbia firmly supports the Dayton Agreement, anything else risks undermining peace

The Dayton Peace Agreement is more than just a political deal, as it ended the civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia firmly supports it because lasting stability can only be built on a shared future, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric said. He warned that advocating for a unitary Bosnia is “a disaster waiting to happen.”

“For us, Dayton is more than a political agreement; it is what ended a bloody and brutal civil war that brought suffering to everyone, not only in Bosnia and Herzegovina but beyond,” Djuric stated during a panel discussion at the NATO Parliamentary Assembly session in Dayton, Ohio, US.

He emphasized that modern Serbia, as one of the guarantors of the Dayton Agreement, is now a developed country that has significantly grown its economy, more than doubling its GDP in under a decade.

Djuric reiterated Serbia’s commitment to becoming a full EU member and its strong belief in regional cooperation.

“A new generation is growing up in the Balkans, and they don’t believe that borders and passport checks define sovereignty and territorial integrity. I truly believe people in the Balkans are frustrated by borders and want to see a Schengen-style system here too,” he said.

He added that this is precisely why Serbia, Albania, and North Macedonia launched the “Open Balkan” initiative.

“For Serbia, the Dayton Agreement remains a living, binding legal framework, a deal that guarantees the constitutional order and equality of the three constituent peoples and the two entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We still firmly stand behind it because we believe that lasting stability can only be built on a shared future,” the Serbian foreign minister stressed.

He stated that Serbia fully supports the territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina while also advocating for the preservation of the constitutional powers of the Republic of Srpska, as guaranteed by Dayton.

However, he expressed regret that some panels and interlocutors suggested that peace alone is not enough.

“We are witnessing deeply concerning attempts to revise the Dayton Agreement – not through democratic consensus or inclusive dialogue, but through imposed decisions and efforts to forcibly centralize the state, thereby undermining both its constitutional structure and the spirit of the original agreement. We believe this is not the way forward,” Djuric said.

He emphasized that Serbia believes in dialogue among equals within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“We believe sustainable peace can only come from mutual respect, not from top-down centralization efforts that disregard Bosnia’s internal structure. Any attempt to centralize the country, especially one that nullifies the autonomy of its entities, is not only legally questionable but dangerously destabilizing,” he pointed out.

Djuric noted that some in Europe advocate for a unitary Bosnia, often under the guise of creating a “more functional state.”

“To be honest, this is a disaster waiting to happen. Bosnia and Herzegovina is not a monoethnic state. The only viable path forward is one that respects its federal structure and the autonomy of its constituent peoples. Anything else risks dismantling the very peace that Dayton brought us,” Djuric warned.

He underlined that Serbia will always be a reliable partner in preserving peace and opposing both separatism and forced centralization, or any changes to the existing agreement.

“The situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina will remain complex as long as it is viewed in black and white. There is no single hero or villain – only people, memories, pain, and a need for mutual respect. If we are truly committed to moving forward, it is our responsibility not to deepen divisions or revive past conflicts, but to find a path ahead – toward mutual understanding, lasting peace, and shared economic development that benefits all communities,” Djuric said.

He added that this gathering not only commemorates the Dayton Peace Agreement but also reaffirms commitment to its principles.

“If we want prosperity to improve, we must reject the illusion that it can be achieved in isolation or by altering the balance Dayton carefully created. Serbia remains steadfast on this path. We are committed to a future where the Balkans are not a zone of tension, but a region of opportunity – built on compromise, mutual respect, and genuine commitment to shared progress,” Minister Djuric concluded.