"The first statements of the newly-elected Serbian president Nikolic in his interview with the FAZ reporter are rather shocking and totally unacceptable to Croatia. If they wish well for their citizens, Croatia and Serbia must be able to cooperate as two neighbouring countries. This requires good will and ability from both sides. Perhaps we should wait for pre-election passions to calm down and for Serbia to get the new government," Pusic said.

She said that at the recent NATO summit in Chicago, the alliance and the aspirants Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Georgia held a ministerial meeting at which she supported the idea of NATO's further enlargement against a backdrop of the new situation in the region following Nikolic's election as Serbia's head of state.

"Croatia supports plans for the admission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro and Macedonia to NATO as we believe that it will contribute to the stabilisation of the relations and security in the region," Pusic said.