Thirty years ago, on 14 December 1995, France hosted the signing in Paris of the Dayton peace accords, which ended the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995), the bloodiest conflict on European soil in the second half of the 20th century.

The accords marked the end of huge suffering, a policy of ethnic cleansing, the longest siege in modern history in Sarajevo, systematic crimes against civilians and a genocide in Srebrenica. The accords laid the foundations for the return to peace that Bosnia and Herzegovina has experienced over the past 30 years. They guarantee respect for territorial integrity, the country's political independence and the region's stability. France, as a witness to the Dayton-Paris Accords, will continue to support respect for these principles, which are essential for keeping the peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkans region.

Thirty years after the signing of the Dayton-Paris peace accords, Bosnia and Herzegovina aspires to a future in the European Union. It is the sovereign choice of that candidate country. France supports that ambition, because it believes that Bosnia and Herzegovina, like the whole Western Balkans, has its place in a united and reunified Europe. This is the message President Macron sent when he welcomed the three members of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency to Paris on 29 October 2025, on the sidelines of the Paris Peace Forum, in the presence of the European Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos.

To make progress along the European path, Bosnians control their destiny. It is up to them to reach compromises amongst themselves in order to embark on the reforms that will enable their country to join the European Union by adopting its rules and standards. If they wish to make their European future a reality, Bosnian political leaders have no more time to lose. They can count on France's support.