Along with Plenković, the publication was also presented by the president of the Croatian Paneuropean Union, Pavo Barišić, the honorary president of the Croatian Paneuropean Union, academician Mislav Ježić, and Anita Šakić of the Zagreb office of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
The Paneuropean Union is primarily about the idea of shared values, a common Europe and cooperation between nations and states, openness and fundamental Christian values, Plenković said, stressing that the basic ambition of the Croatian Paneuropean Union since the early 1990s had been the promotion of Croatia's international recognition.
Plenković said he believes that the main principle of the EU is the principle of Christian solidarity and that therefore he sees to it that Croatia's policies are aligned with that principle.
In that context, he said that it is very important for Croatia to recall the principle of solidarity in internal political discussions on Ukraine.
What would have happened with Croatia if literally everyone had turned away from it, would we have been able to gain international recognition, he asked, adding that Croatia would probably not have been recognised.
Speaking about the commemorative book, entitled "Hrvatska paneuropska unija - Trideset i tri godine rada 1991.-2024." (Croatian Paneuropean Union - Thirty-three Years of Work 1991-2024, unofficial translation), academician Ježić said that the Croatian Paneuropean Union was established on 27 May 1991, before the 25 June 1991 Declaration on the Establishment of the Sovereign and Independent Republic of Croatia.
Ježić said the Croatian Paneuropean Union had to quickly engage in international activities, adding that its president and members in the months following its establishment travelled to European countries where national chapters of the International Paneuropean Union organised their visits and meetings with influential actors, media interviews and attendance at public events such as demonstrations for Croatia's recognition.
Ježić said that the period "following the liberation operations Flash and Storm was marked by a tacit international isolation of Croatia." At the time, Croatia was saved from direct sanctions by then Austrian Foreign Minister Alois Mock and Wolfgang Schüssel and Prince Albert de Rohan, then Secretary General for Foreign Affairs, who prevented the consensus on sanctions in the EU.
Pavo Barišić said the documents on the work of the Croatian Paneuropean Union presented in the book were just a small portion of what the Union had done over the past 33 years.
Its work would not have been possible without the great understanding of and excellent cooperation with the presidents of the International Paneuropean Union Otto von Habsburg and Alain Terrenoire or other friends from all European chapters of the International Paneuropean Union, he said.
The book on the 33rd anniversary of the Croatian Paneuropean Union was published by the Croatian Paneuropean Union, and its editors are Mislav Ježić and Pavo Barišić.