In his message President Mesic expressed tribute to all who have given their contributions to the country's freedom and independence.
Statehood Day is an occasion for underlying values on which Croatia was built and is being developed: "democracy, social justice, human rights and equality before the law. We share them with the progressive world. Therefore the Republic of Croatia is today a respected and constructive member of the international community," Mesic said in his message.
Our priority is now to ensure the economic development. The crisis which is affecting us is a result of the global circumstances but also of our omissions in the development, the head of state said.
Therefore it is important for us to ensure social security of our citizens and vital functions of the society as well as to responsibly draw up a development strategy based on our developing abilities and comparative advantages, Mesic said.