The unveiling ceremony was attended by President Stjepan Mesic, Parliament Speaker Vladimir Seks, Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, Mayor Ivan Bandic, members of parliament, government and political parties, dignitaries from the Serb Orthodox Church and prominent public figures.
The monument was made by famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic.
"I am sure the world would have been much poorer if Tesla had not existed and that without him there would not be many of the benefits of modern technologies we enjoy today," Sanader said in his address, recalling that at the proposal of his government the Croatian Parliament had declared 2006 as the Year of Nikola Tesla.
Seks said that many of Tesla's inventions "ushered in a new era for humanity which he, as a visionary of genius, designed for the benefit of humankind." He also recalled the often quoted statement by Tesla that "he was proud of his Serb ethnic background and the Croatian homeland."
Also on Friday, at a session of Parliament, Seks called on the deputies to attend the main ceremony in tribute to Tesla, which is due to take place on July 10, Tesla's birthday, in his native village of Smiljan near Gospic.