ZAGREB, June 25, 2018 - President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović on Sunday extended a message of congratulations on the occasion of Croatia's Statehood Day, observed on 25 June, in memory of 25 June 1991 when the Croatian Parliament made a historic decision on independence and sovereignty of the Republic of Croatia.
"As we celebrate Statehood Day, the day when by the decision of the Croatian Parliament the sovereign and independent Republic of Croatia was proclaimed, it is with gratitude that we remember our defenders, the first Croatian President Franjo Tuđman and all those who have left a contribution to the establishment of an independent Croatian state," the president writes in her note.
"Let us be proud of our successes over the past twenty-seven years of state independence, the successes that our scientists, athletes, pupils, students, innovators, entrepreneurs and other citizens confirm on a daily basis with their outstanding achievements, thereby carrying the name of our country throughout the world."
"Let today be an incentive for us to persevere in creating a Croatia that will provide all of its citizens with room for security, peace, progress and prosperity. The future of Croatia is in our hands and in our hearts!
"To all Croats and to all Croatian citizens in our homeland and across the world, I extend my heartfelt congratulations on the occasion of Statehood Day of the Republic of Croatia," she writes in her message.
Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković also issued a Statehood Day message, wishing that the harmony and togetherness which led Croats in the creation of a free, independent and democratic Croatia be an additional incentive to continue to develop Croatian society on patriotism, dialogue, tolerance, the harmonising of differences and cooperation to the benefit of all Croats at home and abroad.
He recalled that on 25 June 1991 parliament adopted a constitutional decision on Croatia's sovereignty and independence, and a declaration on the proclamation of sovereign and independent Croatia, saying they represented the constitutional framework for Croatia's independence, in line with the will the Croatian people expressed at a referendum that May.
With that, the Croatian people realised its centuries-long aspiration for the right to have their own identity and to develop it in an independent and sovereign Croatia, Jandroković said.
The period of the creation of independent and democratic Croatia united the Croatian people, showing on which patriotic ideals and democratic values it wanted to live in the future. In togetherness and unity, the Croatian people and all citizens who considered Croatia their homeland showed determination in defending independence and territorial integrity from Greater Serbia aggression, he said.
Therefore we must never forget the price we paid to have and defend our own state, and that is why today we thank all the defenders and their families without whose sacrifice in the Homeland War there would be no Croatia today, he added.
Today Croatia is a country of democratic values, of peace, freedom, equality, respect for human rights, social justice, rule of law and pluralism, a country turned to the future, without forgetting its rich past, an active member state of the European Union contributing to the progress of all European nations, Jandroković said.
Croatia must be our common and only interest as a prosperous country, with stable and strong institutions, based on economic growth, high employment, population renewal, a society of knowledge, and solidarity.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković on Sunday issued a Statehood Day message, saying the government was resolutely continuing with reforms and that togetherness would make Croatia better and stronger.
By adopting the constitutional decision on Croatia's sovereignty and independence, and the declaration on the proclamation of sovereign and independent Croatia, parliament confirmed on 25 June 1991 the Croatian people's will for the establishment of an independent state, Plenković said.
That was a decisive step towards a free and sovereign Croatia on a journey on which we faced the Greater Serbia aggression and on which we had to confirm those historic decisions with the Croatian people's sacrifices and the lives of many of our citizens, he added.
Celebrating Statehood Day, we gratefully remember the courage, determination and perseverance of Croatian defenders and all who stood up to defend the homeland, notably those who took the heaviest toll, whose lives are built into the foundations of Croatia, Plenković said.
We also remember the wise decisions of Croatia's first president Franjo Tuđman, who steered our journey towards an internationally recognised state dedicated to the values of contemporary democracy, tolerance and the rule of law, he added.
Although three decades ago that was but a dream of many previous generations, today Croatia is part of Western European civilisation and a democratic political, economic and security system. As a member of NATO, it contributes to security and stability, and five years of European Union membership enable us to define new priorities and development possibilities, said Plenković.
Last year we achieved a singular result in public finance. For the first time, Croatia earned more than it spent, and employment growth is the second fastest in Europe. Achieving the next strategic goals, entering the euro and Schengen areas, will bring us to even tighter integration, whereby we will strengthen our worth and become part of the closest circle in the EU, he said.
We are resolutely continuing with reforms, boosting the economy's competitiveness, increasing employment, maintaining public finances and demographically revitalising the country, and in order to be better and stronger we need all people who want progress to come together. I am certain that together we can achieve better living standards and better lives for our fellow citizens, the prime minister said, congratulating all Croats at home and abroad on Statehood Day, which is observed on June 25.
