Official Statement on Relations with the Republic of Croatia - Ministry of Foreign Affairs Free Republic of Liberland

16 January 2019

The Free Republic of Liberland, founded on 13 April 2015, seeks good relations with its neighbors. Liberland seeks to demonstrate the benefits it can bring to the region and to clarify its long-term goals. 

The Cabinet of the Free Republic of Liberland hereby asks the Republic of Croatia for a constructive dialogue between the two parties.

Liberland was proclaimed in accordance with international law regarding terra nullius, as the land formerly known as Gornja Siga remained unclaimed by either Serbia or Croatia for over 25 years. A few weeks after Liberland’s proclamation, Croatian police were ordered to enforce an extraterritorial blockade, preventing any visitors from accessing the territory.

The blockade and patrols around Liberland cost Croatian and EU taxpayers large sums of money and prevent all access to the land, even stopping no-impact visits by hikers or beachgoers. In order to solve this impasse, we propose constructive dialogue that will benefit Croatia and support border security.

Since 2015, our visitors have avoided confrontations with Croatian police, and activities and events in the region over the last three years are highly organized, non-violent and do not disturb the peace. Liberland fully disavows attempts to visit the land in 2015 that were disorderly or confrontational.

Liberland has solidified its internal governance and has over 100 global representatives. We have presented our case to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C. and the European Parliament in Brussels. In Serbia, Liberland citizens are investing in tourism, maritime industry and high-tech fields.

With common understanding and partnership with Croatia, our project can bring significant investments, jobs and tourism to a region that needs it. Along with the investments that would come with a flourishing Liberland, Slavonia, with its rich culture and history would prosper as it could be a key factor in our long-term development strategy for job creation and tourism. Independent, publicly available economic studies show that Liberland could have a positive incremental impact on Croatian GDP as high as 0.5% or more in just a few years.

We call for an agreement establishing communications channels with our counterparts in Croatia to benefit the interests of both parties. We propose provisions that will:
-Share information for the mutual benefit of both parties
-Agree upon rules for security procedures, especially border areas
-Allow short term, no-impact visitation while avoiding misunderstandings and confrontations
-Save considerable money and law enforcement resources for Croatia and the EU
-Open a means for investment, tourism, jobs etc. to flow through and to Croatia

Liberland seeks a solution which clearly delineates on the map where Croatia’s jurisdiction starts -- and where it ends. We pledge to respect that jurisdiction and Croatia’s borders and seek to be good friends and allies in the long term.

Economic Studies:
Spillover economic effects of Liberland on the economies of Serbia and Croatia
The Importance of Economic Freedom
Free trade zones in Serbia – current situation overview
Overview of taxes, business environment and tariffs in Hungary, Serbia and Croatia
Taxes in Hungary, Serbia, and Croatia: a brief overview