"A holiday of joy, peace, togetherness and solidarity, Christmas is always an encouragement to all believers and people of good will to persist in promoting life's optimism and (...) commitment to personal, family and social progress," Mesic said in a message.
The president also sent a separate message to Jovan Pavlovic, the Serb Orthodox Metropolitan Bishop of Zagreb, Ljubljana and Italy, saying that Christmas "inspires us (...) to restore the values of the good, peace, togetherness, solidarity, dialogue and reconciliation."
"In the year behind us, in which the Republic of Croatia took a crucial step on its path to full membership of the European Union, the Serb Orthodox Church made a significant contribution to the affirmation of these values which, despite all the problems, make our country a stable and safe one and a factor of peace and dialogue among the peoples and countries of Southeast Europe.
"The successes we have achieved and the tasks that stand before us compel us to direct our efforts and prayers towards attaining social peace, spiritual and material development and prosperity for every inhabitant of our country.
"I therefore wish that dialogue and cooperation between the Serb Orthodox Church and the authorities of the Republic of Croatia would continue to improve this year and contribute to the personal prosperity of every believer and citizen and the general prosperity of this country," Mesic said in his message.
Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks also offered his best wishes for Christmas to the Metropolitan Bishop and the Orthodox faithful in Croatia.