Croatia has officially completed its demining operations, ending a 31-year effort initiated after the Homeland War. Interior Minister Davor Božinović confirmed all known minefields are now cleared, marking a major national milestone under the Ottawa Convention. This achievement concludes a painstaking process that reshaped the country's post-war recovery.

The clearance came at a profound human and financial cost. Over three decades, 208 people died in the effort, including 41 professional deminers. The total expenditure reached approximately 1.2 billion euros. More than 107,000 mines and 407,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance were systematically located and destroyed across the landscape.

The mine-free designation unlocks significant practical benefits. Safer rural areas can now be fully cultivated, and previously dangerous zones become viable for economic development. Tourism, a vital industry, gains expanded access to natural and historical sites. This transformation from a hazardous past to a secure future directly enables broader agricultural use and strengthens the nation's tourism infrastructure.