THE PROCESS OF ATTEMPTING TO NORMALIZE CROATIAN-SERBIAN RELATIONS AND THE PEACEFUL REINTEGRATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIAN KRAJINA IN THE OCCUPIED TERRITORY OF WESTERN SLAVONIA DURING 1994 AND 1995

Abstract

Rad na temelju arhivskoga gradiva, novina i literature prikazuje pregovore o normalizaciji hrvatsko-srpskih odnosa 1994. i u prvoj polovini 1995. godine. Hrvatsko vodstvo nadalo se da će pregovorima uspjeti mirno vratiti pod svoju vlast područja pod nadzorom pobunjenih Srba. Vodstvo Srba na okupiranom području namjeravalo je pregovore o normalizaciji odnosa iskoristiti za gospodarsko i političko jačanje Republike Srpske Krajine, što je u radu prikazano na primjeru zapadne Slavonije, gdje je došlo do glavnine konkretne provedbe ovoga procesa.In the paper the authors have shown the process of negotiations between the Croatian government and the rebel Serbs during the year 1994. An “Agreement on a cease-fi re” was achieved, then negotiations on further normalization of relations were resumed, which needed to include the infrastructural linkage of the occupied areas with Zagreb, that is the free territory of the Republic of Croatia, and aft erwards negotiations on a political settlement should have followed. Croatian leadership was hoping they will be able to carry out the peaceful reintegration of the occupied territories, and the rebel Serbs used the negotiations in order to strengthen the political and economic position of the Republic of Serbian Krajina. Th e example of Western Slavonia shows the successes and failures of this process