Croatia is celebrating Independence Day today (October 8), to mark the 18th anniversary when parliament unanimously passed a decision to sever all ties with the former Yugoslavia.

On 8th October 1991, parliament established that Croatia no longer considered any body of the Yugoslav federation legitimate or legal, nor it recognised any legal act of any body acting on behalf of the former federation, which no longer existed as such.

The parliamentary decision was adopted three months after the Brijuni Declaration when Croatia committed to postponing its independence and sovereignty for three months at the request of the European Community, which asked that efforts be made to resolve the Yugoslav crisis peacefully.

Yesterday, President Mesic decorated a number of persons for their contribution to Croatia's development, including seven members of the former Communist Alliance of Croatia who contributed to the development of democracy and the holding of the first multiparty elections in Croatia.