Croatia is observing Statehood Day on Sunday in memory of 30 May 1990 when, after decades of communist rule, the foundations of the modern Croatian parliament, the Sabor, were created and its historic role in the preservation of Croatian statehood was confirmed.
"Statehood Day has great importance for all of us, because the foundation of the first democratically elected multiparty Sabor on this day in 1990, meant the birth of a Croatian democracy," Prime Minister Plenković said in his message, extending his best wishes to Croatia's citizens in the country and abroad on the occasion of this public holiday.
On this day 31 years ago, Croatia restored its sovereignty after centuries-long strugle for its own state and since then the Croatian people has been managing its state in a democratic way, he added.
Plenković recalled all the challenges Croatia has weathered to date, including the 1991-1995 Homeland War, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 devastating earthquakes, and underscored that "Croatia can be proud of its achievements in last three decades of its independence."
"We established the institutions of a democracy, gained international recognition, set up a respectable army, defended and liberated our homeland, reconstructed the war-ravaged areas and built a modern state that is now a member of NATO and of the European Union which we already chaired. We have restored the economy and enabled investments in the upgrade of the infrastructure."
The priorities in the coming period are the recovery of the economy at a faster rate and the post-quake reconstruction.
"We are committed to the implementation of a set of necessary reforms and investments that will improve the living standards of our citizens and further modernise our economy and make it more competitive and resilient to future crises."
For that purpose we will make use in the best possible way of 24 billion euros of EU funds put at Croatia's disposal, the premier promised.
We will continue developing our democracy, solidarity, tolerance in the society as well as social responsibility, he added.
Croatia is on the right track to join the passport-free Schengen area and the euro area in the next years, which will make Croatia's European Union integration deeper and also strengthen the security along the Croatian borderlines, as well as bolster the national economy, he says in his Statehood Day message.
Plenković thanked Croatian war veterans for their sacrifice during the Homeland War in which Croatia defended itself against the Great Serbia aggression.
Text: Hina