The ceremony was organised by the National Union of Albanians of Slavonia and Baranja.
The prime minister's representative Emina Lekaj Prljaskaj said that the monument is not just a tribute to an outstanding person such as Mother Teresa but also confirmation of the values that she embodied - love for one's neighbour, compassion and selfless service to people in need.
"This monument should be a permanent reminder of her big heart, her faith in humanity and the hope that she instilled in the hearts of many people," Lekaj Prljaskaj said.
She recalled Mother Teresa's words that "not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love." "Let this message guide us through our lives, and let this monument stand here for all of us as a symbol of hope, peace and human warmth for all future generations," Lekaj Prljaskaj said.
The head of the National Union of Albanians of Slavonia and Baranja, Basri Haliti, noted that Mother Teresa is a symbol of peace and love not only for Albanians, but for the whole world.
"In a world that is often in search of peace, Mother Teresa was the embodiment of that peace," Haliti said, describing Osijek as an example of multi-ethnic coexistence.
"This statue once again confirms this noble tradition. Throughout history, Albanians have made a significant contribution to the development of this city, and Osijek has always been a place of unity, as this act confirms today," Haliti concluded.
Deputy Mayor Dragan Vulin said that the Union of Albanians in Croatia, "specifically our friends in Osijek who have been working on this project since 2018," deserve the greatest credit for erecting the monument.
"The importance of this monument, apart from all the values represented by Saint Mother Teresa, is that it is yet another symbol of connection and exceptional friendship between the Croatian and Albanian people," Vulin said.
Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu, better known as Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun and the founder of the Missionaries of Charity in India. She was born to an ethnic Albanian family in Skopje in 1910. In 1979, Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Prize.
In 2016, she was canonised by the Catholic Church as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.