"You are the bridge of cooperation which connects the two countries," Mesic said and added that Chilean President Ricardo Lagos said the same during his visit to Croatia last year.
Stressing that Croatia no longer needed help as it was the case during the Homeland War, Mesic said: "We want partners and our partner is Chile, our partners are Chilean economic organisations, our partners are Chilean citizens and especially you Chilean Croats".
Mesic said this at a dinner part in Santiago thrown in his honor in Estadio Croata, the roof organisations gathering all Croatian associations in the Chilean capital.
The president also met representatives of the Croat community in Antofagasta where he opened Avenida de la Croacia (Croatian Avenue).
At the end of his visit to Chile, Mesic visited the Croat community in Punta Arenas.