The government's duty is to not leave to oblivion and to condemn the horrific crimes committed at the Jasenovac concentration camp during the WWII fascist regime, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said, adding that patriotism cannot be contrary to tolerance of others.

“Our duty is… to condemn these horrific crimes committed on Croatian soil eight decades ago. And they were committed in the name of a fake conception of patriotism,” Plenkovic said at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, adding that patriotism is never based on hate of others but love for one’s own.

He said the lasting task was to develop a society in which love of country could not be contrary to tolerance of others and those who were different.

“Our duty is to learn lessons from that dark period in Croatian history so that we can instill in young generations true patriotism and noble democratic values, which guided the Croatian people in the establishment of an independent, sovereign and democratic state as well as in the defensive 1991-95 war,” he said.

The prime minister said Croatia could be proud with good reason that ethnic minorities had their representatives in parliament and were part of the ruling majority. That is a pledge for building a better and more open Croatia, which is the homeland of all its citizens, independently of their origin, he added.

“That’s the best way to heal the wounds from the past and build a better future for young generations so that the mistakes from the past can never happen again.”