Opening this year's event, that pooled more than 350 guests from all over the world, Croatian President Stjepan Mesic said the presence of Jews in Croatia was long-lasting, their role was characteristic and in some areas of public life great.
He added that he was glad to hear that this topic would be discussed at the "Bejahad - Together 2006" which will close on 16 September.
The president stressed that with the independence of Croatia, Jews were given new possibilities, notably with the adoption of a new law on national minorities in 2002.
According to him, Croatian Jews are fully integrated in public life and society.
The Jewish community has a great historical role, it also experienced injustices in some historical periods and today it is a bridge connecting Croatia with the State of Israel and with other Jews, Mesic added.
Mesic welcomed the presence of representatives of the Bosniak minority and the Islamic community in Croatia at this event. He pointed out the presence of guests from the Islamic community "against the backdrop a long political and security crisis in the Middle East and recent developments in that part of the world".
The Bejahad director, Vladimir Salomon read out an appeal sent to European Muslims and Jews on "being together through culture".
The initiators of the declaration, Mr. Salomon and Reis-ul-Elema Mustafa Ceric, the head of the Islamic community in Bosnia-Herzegovina, call on Muslim and Jewish intellectuals and prominent members of those communities to promote mutual understanding and invest joint efforts so as to eliminate prejudges and lack of knowledge.