"July 1 is just another work day and nothing special will happen. However, everything else that follows creates entirely new prospects and a new world for us," Milanovic said, adding that the path to the EU had been lengthy, difficult and at times exhausting and frustrating.

According to him, once in the EU Croatia would behave as a sovereign and responsible state aware of its interests and the frameworks within which it can achieve them, which respects its own and what is others'.

"The EU is complicated, exceptionally functional and sometimes dysfunctional. It is a project that leads to good. The EU is not a federation, not an alliance of states we were once used to. As far as I am concerned and as far as the majority of European citizens are concerned, it will never be that," Milanovic said.

He added that the bloc was constantly changing and that a community of European states needs to set the criteria to prevent the crisis from occurring again and lasting five years, adding that Croatia would participate in that as a small country which knows what its interests are and whose credibility is measured by its obeying the principles and rules.

Milanovic said Croatia would one day introduce the joint European currency, saying this was a big project which is currently experiencing teething troubles.

He told the neighbouring countries that Zagreb would do everything to help them join the bloc as soon as possible, respecting all the rules which, as he said, were difficult but predictable. "We will not stand in anyone's way and what is even more important, we will not be mentors, tutors, because we had that experience and we did not like it. We want to be partners who will be helping," Milanovic said.

The PM said that freedom, opening borders and communication were Croatia's interests, but underlined that Croatia would maintain awareness of its own identity. "Those big and strong can close their borders on their own. Small ones have no other option but to be open, in contact with the world and that is the only way to make progress, be safe, independent and wealthier," Milanovic concluded.

Apart from Milanovic and Parliament Speaker Josip Leko, the special session was also attended by Croatian President Ivo Josipovic, senior state officials and prominent public and political figures.

The foreign officials in attendance were Slovenian Parliament Speaker Janko Veber, Hungarian Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover, European Parliament Vice President Miguel Angel Martinez and senior officials from the Austrian, Swedish, Polish and French parliaments.

At the end of the session, Milanovic thanked former Prime Ministers Jadranka Kosor and the late Ivica Racan who marked the end and the beginning of Croatia's EU negotiations. Josipovic decorated Kosor and Racan, posthumously, for promoting and bringing Croatia closer to EU membership.