International studies, Vol. X No. 2, 2010.
Review article
Continuity of US Policy towards the Republic of Croatia from the first Pluralistic Elections to International Recognition (1990-1992)
Andrea Bekić
; Master of Political Science
Abstract
The Article deals with the US policy towards Croatia and the crisis in Yugoslavia from 1990 till 1992 by illustrating the key US attitudes using the primary and secondary resources. US policy toward Croatia in that period was mainly a reflection of the policy towards SFRY and of the strategic goal of maintaining its territorial and political unity. During the period before and after the first pluralistic elections in 1990 there was no special US policy developed towards Zagreb, having in mind Washington's lack of support for Croatian and Slovenian initiative to create a confederal state. During the spring of 1991 US played an important role in preventing the military coup in Croatia, at the same time condemning the proclamation of independence on
25th of July as an unilateral act of secession which exacerbates the crisis and at the same time presents a negative benchmark for the Soviet Union. After gaining the independence the main instruments of US policy toward Croatia were weapons embargo as well as denying the recognition. During the 1990 and 1991 there were several initiatives raised in Congress to change the Administration's policy, but US failed to recognize Croatia till the April of 1992 after the same already being done by 50 other states. However parallel recognition of Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina and the establishment of diplomatic relation as late as in August of 1992 confirmed the continuity of US policy towards Croatia in the framework of comprehensive
approach to the area of former Yugoslavia as well as serious reserve towards its full independence.
Keywords
US; US policy; Croatia; disintegration of Yugoslavia; recognition; secession
Hrčak ID:
291287
URI
Publication date:
30.11.2010.
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