Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic attended in Warsaw on Sunday a commemoration marking the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II, her office said in a press release.

“We are here to honour all war victims, both in Poland, which was the first to start fighting Nazism, and in all other states which stood up in the defence of freedom and peace in Europe and the world. The Croatian people, proportionate to its population, contributed the most to the antifascist struggle in Europe in which more than half a million Croatian citizens actively took part,” the president said.

“We are marking 80 years since the start of World War II, which is a highly important anniversary for Croatia, Poland and the whole world. This anniversary reminds us that it’s necessary to make, constantly and with the biggest responsibility, the biggest efforts to build and keep world peace, security and stability, so that we never again have to face the threat of a world or any other war,” she added.

Numerous heads of state and government were in Poland today on the occasion of the anniversary, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Vice President Mike Pence.