One year ago today, the Free Republic of Verdis was invaded by Croatian authorities, which was a violation of international law.
We had initially planned to hold a larger event on this date but decided it would be more appropriate to give this statement instead.
Today, the Republic of Croatia continues to blockade Verdis illegally, preventing anyone from being able to enter Verdis. They are doing this while continuously reiterating that the territory that Verdis claims is not part of Croatia.
Croatia still insists that this land is part of the Republic of Serbia, but Serbia considers the centerline of the Danube the international border.
Since the invasion, our government has continued to operate the country in exile, and we are still working hard every day to get back on the land as soon as possible. We have continued to work with locals in nearby areas such as in Vojvodina, and continue our efforts in achieving diplomatic relations with other states. We have also held protests and actively pressured Croatia to respect Verdis’ territorial integrity.
Croatia’s intention of this blockade is to inconvenience us for as long as possible, in hopes that we give up our claim. We will not give in to this. We will not give up on Verdis’ future and will continue to pressure Croatia to acknowledge and abide by international law. Croatia is very obviously aware that they cannot claim this land, and they still haven’t attempted to make an official claim – only running a blockade.
I also want to make it clear that regardless of these current circumstances, we still hope to have a friendly and cooperative relationship with Croatia in the future. We believe that there are many opportunities that both countries could benefit from, if Croatia decided to lift the blockade, and respect Verdis’ territorial integrity.
Verdis’ future is still bright, but we need time. We, the government need your help. Whether you are a Verdisian citizen or a general supporter of Verdis, It would mean the world to us if you continued to help us spread awareness on this matter, whether thats by social media, word of mouth or by attending #StandWithVerdis protests. Every bit helps.
Thank you.
Daniel Jackson
President of the Free Republic of Verdis