Mike Turner called for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to convene representatives of the Balkan states and neighboring nations at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) for a “Dayton II” conference. This meeting would seek to address the challenges that continue to face the region, fifteen years after the Dayton Peace Accords
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Mike Turner called for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to convene representatives of the Balkan states and neighboring nations at Wright Patterson Air Force Base (WPAFB) for a “Dayton II” conference. This meeting would seek to address the challenges that continue to face the region, fifteen years after the Dayton Peace Accords.
 
Rep. Turner’s letter precedes the Secretary’s four day trip to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, and Brussels to underscore the United States’ continued commitment to supporting the Balkan states in their efforts build prosperous, peaceful, and democratic societies.
 
In his letter to Secretary Clinton, Rep. Turner states…
 
The unprecedented success of the Dayton Peace Accords notwithstanding, the present political divisions of BiH and its ineffective government structure were approved as part of a transitional constitution agreed upon 15 years ago.  In order to assure that Europe remains whole, free and at peace, a more concerted effort must be undertaken on both sides of the Atlantic to help this nascent democracy reform its governing structure and resolve other lingering issues.  Under your leadership, inspired by President Clinton’s success in Dayton, representatives of the Balkan states and other regional players should again gather at WPAFB, for a Dayton II to tackle the remaining challenges:  
 
On November 1st, 1995, while Mr. Turner served as the Mayor of Dayton, leaders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and Serbia convened at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in an attempt to halt conflicts that began in Bosnia and Herzegovina in April of 1992.  After almost a month of negotiations, a peace settlement, known as the Dayton Peace Accords, was reached, ending the 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
 
Throughout the negotiations, the Dayton community became part of the peace process. The citizens of the region became proud to be part of history, holding candlelight vigils, placing `candles of peace' in their front windows, congratulating and praying for the negotiators, and forming a human peace chain at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
 
Before Congress adjourned in September, Rep. Turner introduced H.RES.1680, a resolution recognizing the 15th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accords.  The resolution commends Bosnia and Herzegovina for the significant progress it has made over the past 15 years and encourages further economic and constitutional reforms.