Croatian National Day and 30th Anniversary of Croatia's Full Membership in the Council of Europe Marked in Strasbourg

On 28 May 2026, in the foyer of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers hall in Strasbourg, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Croatia to the Council of Europe organised a solemn celebration of Croatian National Day and the 30th anniversary of Croatia's membership in the Council of Europe. The event was attended by numerous ambassadors, permanent representatives of CoE member states and other diplomats, CoE Secretary General Alain Berset, the President of the European Court of Human Rights, officials and staff of the Council of Europe and the Court, as well as Croatian nationals living and working in Strasbourg.
Opening the event, Croatia's Permanent Representative to the CoE, Ambassador Toma Galli, inaugurated a photo exhibition by Marko Vrdoljak entitled "The Beauties of Croatia."
In his address to the assembled guests, he highlighted that, while not the largest European state, Croatia is committed to freedom, justice and international law. In support of this, he recalled the authoritative opinions of the Badinter Commission, as well as the fact that not a single Croatian national has ever been convicted of any crime committed during the armed conflict on the territory of the Republic of Croatia before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. He further noted that Croatia's admission to the Council of Europe in 1996, and its significant contribution to the effectiveness, visibility and resilience of the Organisation - including Marija Pejčinović Burić's tenure as Secretary General from 2019 to 2024 - stand as further testament to this commitment.
Secretary General opened his remarks with a congratulatory message in Croatian. He spoke in particular of Croatia's remarkable journey from Vukovar to Strasbourg and its readiness to join the common European legal space, confirmed by the signing of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights in 1996, and identified the common legal space as a guarantor of security and stability. He further praised the readiness of the Republic of Croatia, "once itself a victim of brutal aggression", to be among the first to join the Agreement on the establishment of the Special Tribunal for Ukraine, and pointed out its readiness to assist neighboring countries in implementing reforms and achieving sometimes quite difficult compromises required by integration into the common European legal space.
Musicians from the Samobor Percussionists Association, performing as a trio (Trio Sudar), delivered a highly effective rendition of the Croatian and European anthems, followed by performances of compositions by Croatian and French composers - Alfi Kabiljo, Oljo Dešić and Emmanuel Séjourné - to the great delight of the many guests in attendance.
Following the concert, fine Croatian wines and gastronomic specialities were served.
The exhibition and concert were organised in cooperation with the Sector for Public and Cultural Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Croatia.

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