- It is a great honor to be able to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Croatia's independence
in the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, one of the oldest institutions in the world, in the heart of Polish democracy - said the opening speaker Andrea Bekić, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Croatia to Poland.

The exhibition emphasizes the community of Poland and Croatia. The Poles regained their sovereignty and legal subjectivity in the international arena at the beginning, while the Croatians only at the end of the 20th century. As democratic and independent states, the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Poland established diplomatic relations in 1992. Today, in the second decade of the 21st century, once again in their turbulent history, Poles and Croatians find themselves together within the borders of the same state-legal community - European Union, in which equal nations and states participate on a voluntary and democratic basis.

During the opening of the exhibition, Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchcinski also emphasized the similarities between our countries:

- First, we are linked by the history of the entire region. In the 14th century, we even had a common ruler - Louis of Anjou, who was a monarch in the Polish, Hungarian and Croatian crowns.

- Secondly, in our history, we have had both a very long union - Poland with Lithuania and Croatia with Hungary - and communist rule after World War II. While the assessment of the union in the Polish and Croatian consciousness is different, the opinion on communism in both cases coincides - communism was a cruel experience for Poles and Croatians.

- Thirdly, in the second half of the 19th century, the Polish and Croatian nation-building process accelerated considerably during the same historical period. Catholicism, the universal Church, national literature and language played a unique role in it.

- Fourth, the parliament in the history of Poland and Croatia has a unique status. During the late Middle Ages, the Sejm in Poland and the Sabor in Croatia became the representation of the political community, the so-called states, and all the lands that made up our states. In both countries a high political and legal culture developed around the institution of parliament and parliamentarism. In the 19th and 20th centuries, on the other hand, the restoration of parliament became an important political demand, a kind of prelude first to independence and then to sovereignty.

Common elements of history, sharing similar values are a good foundation for the future. Marshal Kuchciński spoke about the aspirations for a strong political and military alliance between our countries.