After observing a minute of silence in memory of nearly 3,000 innocent people who died ten years ago today in the attacks, U.S. Ambassador James Foley said Americans would never forget the messages of sympathy and solidarity from around the world in the moment of America's deepest mourning. The attacks on New York and Washington were a huge shock, considering the number of victims and the extent of destruction, Foley said.

He extended special gratitude to President Ivo Josipovic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor for attending the commemoration.

We are proud of our partnership with Croatia within the ISAF mission which is comprised of soldiers from 49 countries, Foley said when speaking of the fight against terrorism.

The commemoration in Zagreb was also attended by a new contingent of Croatian soldiers and members of the Minnesota National Guard who are being trained together and will soon be deployed to Afghanistan.

On 11 September 2001, al Qaeda planned to provoke a conflict of civilisations, notably a conflict between Islam and the West. They failed. Al Qaeda attacks all religions, its targets and victims are actually mostly Muslims and all great religions condemn the killing of the innocent. Therefore the world united against enemies of the civilisation, Foley said.

Foley presented Zagreb firemen with US firemen uniforms in honor of their colleagues killed on this day ten years ago in the terrorist attacks on the U.S.

"Today we remember with sadness the terrorist attack which ten years ago shocked the United States and the entire democratic world. Our thoughts and prayers today are again with all the victims, their families and the entire American people," PM Kosor said in her address.

She recalled that Croatia had not only condemned the terrorist attacks on the US, but also joined the global anti-terrorist coalition. Kosor stressed Croatia strongly supported anti-terrorist efforts in the United States, underlining its engagement as part of NATO in Afghanistan, as well as in other multilateral forums.

Croatia is also interested in strengthening bilateral cooperation with the US in fighting terrorism, she said.

Speaking about the 9/11 attack, President Josipovic that "the most terrifying and deadliest terrorist attack in the history of humanity" took place ten years ago on U.S. soil. Josipovic stressed that it was an attack not only on the U.S. but on the entire democratic and free world.

With its openness, democracy and multiculturalism, the United States defeated the plan of provoking a conflict of civilisations," Josipovic said, adding that all democratic countries, including Croatia, sided firmly with the United States.

Americans on Sunday remember the horror of 11 September 2001, and the nearly 3,000 people who died in the hijacked plane attacks.

In the attacks, 19 men from the Islamic militant group al Qaeda hijacked airliners and crashed them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon outside Washington and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.