Addressing his guests, Mesic recalled the historic decision of the Croatian parliament of June 25, 1991, to declare Croatia's sovereignty and independence, which he said was the foundation stone of Croatian statehood.
Speaking about the past 14 years, the Homeland War and the peaceful reintegration, Mesic said that in recent years Croatia had been developing fast as a democratic country, with high standards of human and minority rights and freedoms.
"Croatia has reaffirmed itself as a country which has led the way in peace processes and establishment of good neighbourly relations among countries in Southeast Europe, as a country which today is ready to assume and meet international obligations and claim its place in the international community," he said.
"Croatia is proud to say that reconstruction and refugee return are nearing completion, that its economy has been recovering gradually, although the targeted pace of economic recovery has been slowed down by an insufficiently developed privatisation concept and privatisation crime," he said.
The President added that despite all inherited and new problems, Croatian citizens could be satisfied and proud of what had been achieved so far.
It is vital for Croatia to continue developing as a democratic country, as a country of political freedoms and stability, free entrepreneurship and social justice, he said.
It is also important to continue implementing reforms of the state administration and judiciary and strengthen the participation of citizens in the public life, so that Croatia can be ready to start talks on EU membership, he said.
"The constitutional and budgetary crisis in the EU, notwithstanding its negative effects and the danger of enlargement being slowed down, can also prompt our bodies of state authority and all social structures to find the best possible solutions for talks on full EU membership which I believe will start soon," Mesic said.