Croatia marks Anti-Fascist Resistance Day

Croatia marked Anti-Fascist Resistance Day on Monday with commemorating the 74th anniversary of the founding of first armed anti-fascist forces, Sisak Partisan Unit, in Brezovica forest near the central city of Sisak.

Croatian President Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic, as well as representatives from foreign embassies in Croatia, laid wreaths before the monument.

"The uprising against the occupation was an expression of freedom-loving spirit of the Croatian people," Grabar Kitarovic said.

Croatia, relative to its population, gave the highest number of anti-fascist fighters in the former Yugoslavia, the president said.

Milanovic said "the establishment of the first organized Partisan Unit was a unique event in Europe." The Partisan movement played an invaluable role in the history of the modern Croatia.

Dragica Zgrebec, an envoy of the speaker of the croatian parliament Josip Leko, said that the Anti-fascism is one of the highest values of the Croatia.

Norwegian Ambassador to Croatia, Henrik Ofstad, said that the partisan movement in this areas was part of a pan-European and global movement against Nazism.

Mayor of Sisak Kristina Ikic Banicek said that the Sisak partisans'sacrifice was huge, adding that, of the first 79 fighters, only 38 survived at the end of the WWII.

Franjo Habulin, president of the Union of Croatian anti-fascists added that the Communist Party led by Josip Broz Tito became the only political force which was able to led the people to fight against the occupiers. Endit