Party leader and Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said the HDZ had been the creator of all the important events in recent Croatian history and that it had transformed Croatia from an object to a respected subject of international politics.
After the realisation of Croatia's independence, the HDZ is leading Croatia to full membership of the European Union, Sanader said.
"Croatia has a chance to become a member of the European Union in three years. Croatia will become its 28th member and there is no doubt about that. I personally feel this could happen in 2009, but it will be no tragedy if it happens at a later date," said Sanader, underlining that it was very important for Croatia to become a full member of the EU and NATO so that it could fully reinforce its international position.
Sanader gave a special acknowledgement to the HDZ founder and Croatia's first president, the late Franjo Tudjman.
Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks provided a chronology of events which led to Croatia's independence.
He said that in 1989, when the HDZ was founded, its platform defined as one of the party's goals the admission of independent Croatia to the then European Community.
Earlier on Saturday, a delegation of the HDZ Presidency laid wreaths at the Altar of the Homeland as well as at the cross in War Veterans Alley and at Tudjman's grave at Mirogoj cemetery.
The delegation was led by Deputy PM Jadranka Kosor and included, among others, Seks and Foreign Minister Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic.