Acting Parliament Speaker Josip Leko, President Ivo Josipovic's advisor on home affairs, Sinisa Tatalovic, and PM Zoran Milanovic's envoy, Environment and Nature Protection Minister Mihael Zmajlovic, laid the wreaths and lit candles at the Wall of Pain monument, the People's Heroes Vault, former PM Ivica Racan's grave, the Homeland War Veterans Central Cross, former President Franjo Tudjman's grave, and at the grave of unidentified Homeland War victims.

Also in attendance were delegations of the Armed Forces, the Police Directorate, Homeland War veterans' associations, and the City of Zagreb.

"The citizens of Croatia and the Croatian people observe October 8 as a historic day... We must remember how it was in 1991, under what circumstances, both international and at home, under military aggression, united we managed to defend freedom, achieve independence, with enormous victims. That's a date, those are circumstances, those are events we will certainly never forget," Leko told the press after laying a wreath at Tudjman's grave.

He congratulated all Homeland War defenders and victims as well as all Croatian citizens on Independence Day. "I wish them to spend it in peace, with their families and that, together again, we defeat the economic difficulties the country is in."

Wreaths were also laid by the strongest opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).

"We gather today to remember both our late president and all those who gave their lives for the independent and free Republic of Croatia," HDZ vice president Drazen Bosnjakovic told the press after laying a wreath at Tudjman's grave.

Numerous delegations laid wreaths and lit candles at the Homeland War Victims Memorial Cemetery in the eastern town of Vukovar.