We, the representatives of churches and religious communities, as well as the representatives of civilian authorities, ambassadors and all the people of goodwill gathered here in Sremski Karlovci in the Chapel of Our Lady of Peace express our deep commitment to promoting peace in this region, in Europe and in the whole world, they said in their message, Croatian-language media in Serbia's northern Vojvodina province reported on Thursday.
Aware of all the consequences of war destruction, especially the countless human sufferings that left deep wounds in people's hearts and traces in the national consciousness, we clearly and unequivocally say: No more war!, they added.
The commemoration of the anniversary of the Treaty of Karlowitz, which ended the Great Turkish War in 1699, was organised on Wednesday evening by the Srem Diocese, which announced the establishment of a Centre for the Culture of Peace.
The ceremony was attended by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who had earlier met with the Serbian state leadership and the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije.
Parolin later said they discussed the importance of working together on achieving universal peace. The most the two churches can do for peace in the world is reconciliation between them, he added.
Before the commemoration, the Vatican secretary of state led the Vespers prayer at the diocesan shrine of Our Lady of Tekija in Petrovaradin, which was attended by several hundred local Catholics, mostly ethnic Croats.
The ceremonies were also attended by Andreja Metelko Zgombić, State Secretary at Croatia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, who met with Cardinal Parolin in private after the Mass.
She told the Croatian public broadcaster HRT that she thanked the cardinal for the Vatican's support to the local catholic church and Catholic Croats in the Srem region. They also discussed outstanding issues in that area.
The commemoration was attended by representatives of the Catholic, Christian Orthodox and evangelical churches and the Islamic community, as well as ambassadors of European countries and Turkey.
Although it had been announced that Serbian Prime Minister Miloš Vučević would also be there, he did not attend the commemoration in Sremski Karlovci.