Topusko – Croatian Parliament Speaker Boris Šprem attended the ceremony held in Topusko under the auspices of the Croatian Parliament to mark the 67th anniversary of the victory over Fascism, the liberation of Croatia and its capital city, the 68th anniversary of the historic 3rd conference of the National Anti-Fascist Council of the People's Liberation of Croatia (ZAVNOH) and Europe Day.
“Croatia’s passport to Europe was issued in Topusko in 1944”, said the Speaker. On 9 May 1944 in Topusko, Šprem reminded, 105 councillors of the ZAVNOH made the decisions in keeping with those of mature European countries that saw democracy as their future. “These were the decisions on the rights of the nation and citizens of Croatia, on the equality of Croats, Serbs and other nationalities, on the equality of women and men, on the freedom of religion, association and speech, on developing culture, on eradicating illiteracy and on free education”, the Speaker explained.
Ratko Maričić, president of the Alliance of Anti-Fascist Fighters and Anti-fascists of the Republic of Croatia (SABA), underlined that one of the decisions made at the historic conference chaired by Vladimir Nazor, famous Croatian politician, writer and poet, was to establish the Croatian Parliament, as a representative and legislative body.
State leaders, representatives of the Armed Forces, the SABA, the city of Zagreb, local and regional authorities, a delegation of the Coordination Committee of Jewish Communities in Croatia and a delegation of the Serb National Council laid wreaths at the memorial to the victims of fascism.