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Zagreb - Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković has issued a message for Independence Day, marked on 25 June.
Independence Day commemorates the resolution on the sovereignty and independence of the Republic of Croatia and the declaration of independence from Yugoslavia, adopted by the Croatian Parliament on 25 June 1991. This was preceded by a referendum held in May 1991 at which the Croatian people expressed their "clear and unequivocal desire" to live in a sovereign and independent state. However, before realising their centuries-old dream of statehood, the Croatian people had to fight for their freedom, Jandroković said.
He recalled the sacrifice of defenders of Croatia during the 1991-1995 Homeland War and the efforts by those who became actively involved in the creation and defence of Croatia, led by the first President Franjo Tuđman. Credit also goes to members of the Croatian Parliament and Government at the time, he added.
Jandroković said that in the meantime Croatia had joined NATO and the European Union, including simultaneous accession to the EU's Schengen area and euro zone this year, thus achieving its strategic goals and laying a firm foundation for achieving new ones.
"We are called upon to work to make Croatia even safer and more resilient in the future, to make its institutions more efficient, its economy stronger and society more tolerant and showing greater solidarity. ... This is the basic precondition for further development of Croatia to the benefit of all its citizens," Jandroković said in his message.