In his address the head of state says that "in the unnecessarily created 'make or break' atmosphere on the eve of 17 March, when Croatia's negotiations on accession to the European Union were supposed to start" he deems it his duty to present his perception of the entire situation which certain forces in the country have "abused in order to enhance scepticism towards Europe".
"If negotiations are not started on 17 March, they will start somewhat later, and nothing special is going to happen about that," he says.
The dilemma either Gotovina or the European Union is false, Mesic says, adding that "the true dilemma is: either the European Union or return to isolation, which would be disastrous".
"The actual date of our acceptance will depend much more on Croatia's meeting European requirements and standards within negotiation process than on the actual start of the negotiations."
On the path towards full EU membership, Croatia must meet certain requirements, as the Union has its rules and standards, the President says.
"We have to respect these rules, accept the standards and meet membership requirements - economic and political ones alike."
"This is precisely what we are doing, fairly successfully ... However, there is a hitch regarding one requirement - the one regarding full cooperation with ICTY," Mesic says.
"The activity of ICTY is at issue in part of our public because there are people who do not want to accept the truth that during the Patriotic Defence War crimes were also committed on the Croatian side. The justified determination of the responsibility of those who either ordered or perpetrated, or failed to prevent or punish such crimes, is being presented as bringing discredit to and criminalizing the Patriotic Defence War as a whole," he says, highlighting that "that is an outright lie."
In this context he says that "only the assignment of guilt and responsibility to individual persons will help to clear the vast majority of the honest and honourable veterans of the Patriotic Defence War of the taint of crimes which, unfortunately, were undoubtedly committed."
Mesic reiterates that "every Croatian citizen is also bound to cooperate with ICTY under the relevant constitutional law. Failure to appear in that Tribunal or prevention of its activity directly violate Croatian constitutional law."
"The very people who bore the brunt of Croatia's defence either by their own will or owing to circumstances are not on any account entitled to put into question the functioning of Croatia as a law-abiding state or encourage noncompliance with the Constitution and the law," the President stresses.
Mesic recalls some cases in the past when the Hague-based tribunal asked Croatia to transfer certain indictees but relevant Croatian authorities "responded that they had no idea of their whereabouts". "Subsequently, however, it was established that they had lived in Croatia with a false identity, and that they had even received financial and other aid from certain institutions and officials."
This is why Croatia has lost the trust of others, according to Mesic.
"Let there be no doubt whatsoever about this: there is no conspiracy against Croatia! We are welcome in the European Union and they are expecting us. But they are expecting a Croatia which will be a reliable partner and which can be trusted," he says, adding that the task of authorities is to restore that trust.
"This is my message to the citizens of Croatia: do not be tricked by the enemies of Europe, and the advocates of an isolated Croatia. Resists them - on behalf of freedom and democracy, on behalf of our future, on behalf of the Croatia which we set out to build together, the Croatia for which the heroes of the Patriotic Defence War gave their lives."
Mesic reiterates that he has always been "a consistent advocate of Croatia's accession to united Europe," and that united Europe is simply Croatia's destiny.
"If we care about our own future, and the future of our children and grandchildren, we may not shrink from that destiny. Croatia may not remain an isolated island amidst a uniting Europe," Mesic says, among other things.