Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic marked Croatia’s 33rd Independence Day with messages paying tribute to the nation's journey to sovereignty and honoring those who sacrificed for its freedom.

“On Independence Day, we commemorate the historic decision of the Croatian Parliament on 25 June 1991 to initiate the process of Croatia’s separation from the other republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. We are proud of all our achievements and continue to work on building an even more developed and rule-based Croatia for the benefit of all citizens,” the Prime Minister wrote in a post on Platform X on Tuesday.

“We will always be grateful to the first president, Dr Franjo Tudjman, and all Croatian defenders who made the greatest sacrifice for Croatia’s freedom and independence,” he added.

Jandrokovic: “We have paid a high price for our Croatia”

Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic said at the beginning of Tuesday’s parliamentary session that the day marking the adoption of the Declaration of Independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) by the Croatian Parliament 33 years ago initiated the inevitable process of our separation from the other republics and the SFRY.

“In order for the state ties to be formally cut, a three-month moratorium on this constitutional decision should also have expired. However, it is important for the younger generations to remember everything that Croatia had to go through on its way to freedom, autonomy and independence, which its citizens had so clearly and unambiguously voted for,” he said.

The war in Ukraine clearly shows how “arduous, bloody and uncertain” a fight for freedom and independence can be.

“That is why it is very important to remember that we paid a high price for our Croatia. I would therefore like to express our lasting gratitude to all the dead and missing defenders and their families, as well as to all those who are still with us,” said Jandrokovic.