Sanader recalled that in February 1989 Tudjman and a couple of his friends worked on the first document which was to become the platform for the subsequent establishment of the party and covered, among other things, the establishment of an independent and sovereign Croatia and its integration into the European community of peoples.
Sanader said that Croatia next week expected to get a date for the start of membership talks with the European Union. "I have no doubt that Croatia deserves that and there is no way Croatia's efforts will be blocked," he said.
"On the fifth anniversary of Tudjman's death we are going forward with great expectations and self-confidence. We have our goals and know who was the aggressor in the Homeland War. We will not live in the past, but we won't forget it either so as not to repeat mistakes."
Speaking about Croatia's future in Europe, Sanader said that Croatia could be a catalyst for international efforts to stabilise South-East Europe and that it was in Croatia's interest to normalise relations with Serbia and Montenegro and solve outstanding issues with its neighbours.
Luxembourg takes over the chairmanship of the EU on January 1, 2005, the PM recalled, announcing that this would be a very important stage during which Croatia would start negotiations with the EU and the best Croatian negotiators would try to negotiate the most favourable position for the country.
Tudjman's role is historic, he is the greatest Croatian statesman who should be highly respected by the present and future generations, Sanader said, recalling Tudjman's role in uniting leftist and rightist Croats and his call for the unity of Croats at home and Croat emigrants, who he said until that time had been declared enemies for 45 years.
We are proud to have worked with Tudjman and to have lived at a historic time of the establishment of the independent Croatian state, Sanader said.
The commemoration was attended by senior HDZ members of the parliament and the government, members of the HDZ presidency and many others.