Zagreb – Top Croatian state leaders began the celebration of Statehood Day laying wreaths at the Mirogoj cemetery in the morning and finished the festivity at the concert held in the evening hours at the Croatian National Theater in Zagreb.
In recognition of the separation of the Republic of Croatia from Yugoslavia on June 25, 1991, President of the Republic Ivo Josipović, Prime Minister Zoran Milanović and the deputy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Josip Leko laid wreaths and lit candles at the Wall of Pain memorial site, at the Tomb of National Heroes, at the grave of Ivica Račan, Croatia's prime minister from 2000 to 2003, at the Central Cross in the Alley of of the killed Homeland War soldiers, at the grave of the first Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and at the common grave of unidentified victims of the Homeland War.
In the evening, President Josipović hosted Prime Minister Milanović, Deputy Speaker Leko and other eminent guests in the Croatian National Theatre where the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra performed a concert. At the ceremony held in the National Theatre, the President conferred honorary awards to distinguished and meritorious individuals, firms and cultural institutions, among which the Zagreb Philharmonic Orchestra, Croatia’s cultural ambassador.