Commenting in the Sarajevo daily Dnevni Avaz and Banja Luka's Nezavisne Novine on Thursday on the talks he and Ljubic had held with the Croatian leaders in Zagreb on Wednesday, Covic said that Josipovic and Kosor fully shared the views of the two HDZ parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Josipovic and Kosor gave their unquestionable support to the legitimate representatives of the Croat people (in Bosnia and Herzegovina)," Covic said.

Covic said he had warned Kosor and Josipovic about a "dangerous attempt" by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) to form a government in the Bosniak-Croat entity before forming it at the state level "so they could then deal with the other entity." Covic said that that would "lead to the dissolution of relations in Bosnia and Herzegovina and deepen the crisis."

"The fact that someone believes that we can be eliminated from government clearly shows in what kind of constitutional position the Croat people are at present. Of course we told (Josipovic and Kosor) which parties this is coming from and what we are doing to prevent it. We will make it clear to (the SDP) that the further formation of government in the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina will not be possible," Covic said, stressing that under present circumstances his party would obstruct any attempt at forming the entity's government.

Ljubic said that Bosnian Croat politicians were capable of articulating their own "sound policy" without views being imposed by Zagreb.