On March 18, 1994, 22 years ago, the so-called Washington Agreement was signed in Washington.
This Agreement ended the armed conflict between the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ARBiH) and the Croatian Defense Council (HVO), resulting in the establishment of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH).
The internal structure of the territory with Bosniak and Croat population in the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina has been transformed in the FBiH. The FBiH consists of federal units, the cantons, which all have equal rights and responsibilities. The cantonal system presented a kind of defense in order to prevent the domination of one nation over the other.
The Washington Agreement was supposed to be only the first stage of the agreement, while the second stage would include the Republika Srpska (RS) in negotiations as well. According to this plan, the RS was supposed to disappear and the cantonal administration was supposed to be established at the level of the entire BiH.
On March 1, 1994 in Washington, the BiH Croats and Bosniaks signed a preliminary Agreement on the establishment of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina that will enable confederation with the Republic of Croatia. This agreement was signed by Dr. Mate Granić, Dr. Haris Silajdžić and Krešimir Zubak.
On March 18, 1994 in Washington, the president of the Republic of Croatia Franjo Tuđman and the president of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Alija Izetbegović signed a Framework agreement on confederate ties between the Republic of Croatia and the future Bosniak-Croat federation in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Prime minister of BiH Haris Silajdžić and president of the Presidential Council of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia Krešimir Zubak signed in Washington the text of the Draft constitution of the federation of Croats and Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On March 30, 1994, the Constituent Assembly of the FBiH accepted with a great majority the Constitution of the FBiH which established the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the territory with the majority of Bosniak and Croat population.
(Source: radiosarajevo.ba)
