Slovenia and Croatia declared independence on 25 June 1991. The next day the JNA left barracks. On 27 June the Ten-Day War began, at the border posts. The European Community’s foreign ministers — the Troika of Jacques Poos, then João de Deus Pinheiro, and Hans van den Broek — came three times. The proposals of 30 June: a cease-fire, talks. The Council declaration of 5 July, at The Hague, prepared the text.

The joint declaration was signed on the Brijuni Islands on 7 July 1991. The Troika, led by van den Broek. From the Yugoslav collective presidency: Stjepan Mesić, Bogić Bogićević, Janez Drnovšek, Branko Kostić, Vasil Tupurkovski. Federal prime minister Ante Marković, foreign minister Budimir Lončar, interior minister Petar Gračanin, deputy defence minister Stane Brovet. Croatia: Franjo Tuđman. Slovenia: Milan Kučan. Serbia: Borisav Jović, not Milošević, who refused to come. Jović left before the plenary, dissatisfied. From 8:00 a.m. the Troika saw the Slovenes, then the Croats, then Jović; in the afternoon, the plenary.

Principles: it is for the peoples of Yugoslavia alone to decide their future; a new situation, to be watched; talks without preconditions, no later than 1 August, on the Helsinki Final Act and the Paris Charter, including self-determination and territorial integrity; the collegiate presidency must play its full role, especially towards the federal armed forces; no unilateral action, no violence. Protection of minorities is critical. An observer mission, after the CSCE decision in Prague; a preparatory mission of high officials on 9 July. Annex II: 30–50 people, military and civilian, unarmed; Slovenia, possibly Croatia; daily report through the CSCE secretariat.

Annex I. Borders: control of crossings by Slovenian police, in line with federal regulations. Customs: the 20 June agreement, duties a federal revenue, collected by Slovenes, a joint account. Air traffic: a single control, the federal authority. Border security: the situation before 25 June; in the three-month suspension, an orderly transfer of JNA competencies. Cease-fire, by 8 July at 24:00: lifting of the blockade of JNA units, unconditional return to barracks, roads cleared, facilities and equipment returned, territorial defence deactivated. Prisoners from hostilities since 25 June, released by the same hour; the Red Cross associated.

Slovenia and Croatia suspended, for three months, acts flowing from the independence declarations. On 18 July the federal presidency ordered the JNA out of Slovenia. The evening of the signing, the JNA shelled Osijek. In Croatia the fighting went on. The EC Monitor Mission was extended there on 1 September. This is not the Dayton Agreement of 1995, and not the 18 July withdrawal, which is a later order. The cover is the Brijuni archipelago, the site of the conference.

Sources: Brioni Agreement; Joint Declaration of the EC Troika (Brioni Agreement), 7 July 1991.