The charter-awarding ceremony was attended, among others, by Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic.
Explaining its decision, adopted on the occasion of Sibenik City Day, September 29, the city government said Verheugen had considerably contributed to the promotion of peoples, states and democracy, as well as Croatia's integration with the European Union.
"Guenter Verheugen has not left a mark only on German policy, but he has also had a significant impact on the new era in the European history, as well as on Europe's present and future. He is one of the key people who influenced the acceptance of the notion about the enlargement of the EU and is among those who deserve most credit for the major turnaround on our continent, which occurred with the admission of ten new members on May 1," Sanader said.
He added that the EC official had supported Croatia's independence from the beginning and was one of the European politicians who had realised very early that there could be no united Europe without Croatia.
Accepting the charter, Verheugen said he was deeply touched with the friendship of the city, which he visited for the first time as a teenager in 1960.
"Croatia has always been in the centre of Europe and has been part of that Europe in all aspects. If we all invest sufficient efforts, my wish will come true and I will be sitting at the same table in the EC with my colleague from Croatia by the end of my term (as European Commission vice-president) in 2009," Verheugen said.
He said that Croatia faced a lot of work on that road, but that he strongly believed that it was capable of becoming an equal and respected member of democratic Europe.