He was speaking in the office of the OSCE Mission in Zagreb on the 30th anniversary of the Conference on European Security and Cooperation in Helsinki which gave birth to the OSCE.
Mesic's visit to the Mission was the first ever by the head of a European state to an OSCE office.
He said the OSCE monitoring in Croatia had been necessary and thanked all those who had drawn attention to occurrences or trends in Croatia which were not in accordance with European principles and standards.
"I will reiterate what I have said many times. All the reforms we are undertaking, we are carrying out for ourselves and our future."
Mesic said Croatia today was at a stage when the European orientation was one of the priorities of its foreign policy.
"It is therefore logical that the time of monitoring is nearing the end," he said, adding this did not mean that cooperation with the OSCE would diminish, but acquire new frameworks and a new quality.
"This cooperation will remain one of the significant components of Croatia's political activity in Europe."
Speaking of the OSCE's history, Mesic said that one of the goals in the preparation of the 1975 Helsinki summit was to close the chapter on WWII. He added, however, that the Conference on European Security and Cooperation had been more than that, having played a huge role in the definition of the political space in Europe and its rules.
"Security and cooperation were a counterpoint to confrontation and conflicts, and this was what Europe and the world needed."
Mesic said a particularly important aspect of OSCE activity stemming from the Helsinki summit was the conclusion on the inviolability of borders, which alongside the protection of human rights "is the foundation on which present-day Europe is structured".
The head of the OSCE Mission to Croatia, Spanish Ambassador Jorge Fuentes, thanked Mesic for the historic visit to the Mission's office and congratulated him on the opening of Croatia's European Union entry negotiations. He voiced hope Croatia would join the Union by 2010.
Fuentes said the OSCE Mission was very well received in Croatia by both the authorities and the people, saying he was thankful for that.
"Being in Croatia is a privilege for the Mission and I hope this isn't the only reason why it has been here so long," he said in jest.
Fuentes voiced confidence the Mission's future work would proceed fast and that its mandate would be concluded in a reasonable time.