[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 194 (Friday, December 16, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2300-E2301]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          RECOGNIZING 16TH ANNIVERSARY OF DAYTON PEACE ACCORDS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL R. TURNER

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, December 16, 2011

  Mr. TURNER of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, today I am glad to recognize the 
16th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.
  On December 14, 1995, the General Framework Agreement for Peace in 
Bosnia and Herzegovina, known as the Dayton Peace Accords, ended a 
conflict that threatened to destabilize Europe and resulted in the 
death of approximately 250,000 people, and the displacement of more 
than 2,000,000 men, women, and children.
  Negotiations began on November 1, 1995, at Wright-Patterson Air Force 
Base in Dayton, Ohio, and concluded there on November 21, 1995, when 
the leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia all agreed 
to a breakthrough peace settlement that sought to halt conflicts that 
began in Bosnia and Herzegovina in April 1992.
  Previous attempts to negotiate peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina had 
been unsuccessful; and the negotiations were initiated under intense 
pressure by many of the world powers, particularly the United States 
and Russia, prompting the leaders of the three sides to attend the 
negotiations in Dayton, Ohio.
  The United States negotiating team, led by Ambassador Richard 
Holbrooke, guided peace negotiations endorsed by members of the 
European Union (EU) and Russian Federation; and 21 days of intense 
negotiations occurring at the Hope Hotel at Wright-Patterson Air Force 
Base brought hope and an opportunity for peace.
  The negotiations succeeded, against all predictions, due to the 
visionary leadership, the determination of all involved, the desire for 
peaceful resolution of the conflict, and the extensive community 
support. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base was chosen as the site of the

[[Page E2301]]

negotiations due to its diversity and security, which offered an 
environment where the warring parties could focus on negotiating peace 
out of the spotlight of the media and away from distracting 
geopolitical pressures.
  The Dayton community unexpectedly became part of the process as its 
people became proud to be part of history, holding candlelight vigils, 
placing `candles of peace' in their front windows, congratulating and 
praying for the negotiators, forming a human peace chain around Wright-
Patterson Air Force Base, and continuing to study peace and human 
rights based on the community's experiences hosting these historic 
negotiations.
  The negotiators highlighted Ohio's ethnic diversity to show the 
warring parties that people from disparate ethnic histories could live 
everyday life in peace; and the Dayton Peace Accords provided a 
framework and common agreement to the North Atlantic Treaty 
Organization (NATO) implementation and stabilization force missions 
which provided security for the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina, 
Croatia, and Serbia.
  The Dayton Literary Peace Prize, established in 2006, remains the 
only literary peace prize awarded in the United States, and continues 
the legacy of the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords by honoring authors who 
write about peace and whose work provides enduring literary value.
  The Dayton International Peace Museum in downtown Dayton, a 
nonprofit, all-volunteer organization, is one of the few community-
based institutions with a focus on peace in the United States, and the 
Museum honors Dayton's history as the host of the 1995 Dayton Peace 
Accords, offering nonpartisan educational programs and exhibits 
featuring themes of nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice 
issues, international relations, and peace.
  Mr. Speaker, the Dayton, Ohio, community supported the peace 
negotiations and worked to create a strong, lasting relationship with 
Bosnia and Herzegovina by hosting numerous visiting delegations, 
creating a sister city relationship with Sarajevo, and hosting an 
international anniversary commemoration. Bosnia and Herzegovina has 
received a conditional Membership Action Plan to join NATO pending 
continued progress on reforms. Croatia is progressing on the path to 
join the EU, became a NATO member in 2009, and has deployed troops 
around the world, including in Afghanistan, fighting alongside the 
United States Armed Forces to bring peace, stability, and prosperity to 
others. The Montenegrin Parliament declared independence from Serbia on 
June 3, 2006, and thus created a multi-ethnic country with a viable 
economy, professional military and democratic institutions.
  The entire State of Ohio has contributed to stability and prosperity 
in the Balkan region by fostering an exemplary relationship between the 
Ohio National Guard and the Serbian Armed Forces; and the Dayton Peace 
Accords effectively ended the conflict, created a multi-ethnic country 
in the Balkans, and addressed topics critical to the future of Bosnia 
and Herzegovina, including regional stabilization, a constitutional 
framework, the repatriation of refugees, and internal security.

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