"He was a visionary statesman and a man who found strength in the most complicated historical circumstances to recognise a crucial time on the European continent and implement his idea of a free and sovereign Croatian state," said Plenkovic during a wreath-laying ceremony in front of the monument erected to Tudjman in the biggest Croatian Adriatic city.
The dream of a free Croatia came true owing to Tudjman's political skills and his skills as a historian and owing to the huge support of the Croatian people to his idea, as evidenced at the independence referendum, and owing to great sacrifice of the soldiers who defended the Croatian freedom, said Plenkovic.
Now 30 years after that, all this makes us indebted to Tudjman and we are obliged to build a Croatia as a part of Europe, and as a safe country and a prosperous economy and socially inclusive state, said the premier.
Franjo Tudjman, born in Veliko Trgovisce on 14 May 1922, served as the first Croatian president from 30 May 1990 until his death on 10 December 1999.
Text: Hina