"Bosnia unfortunately has a history of suffering of all its ethnic groups and I believe that a mutual acknowledgement of the victims and condemnation of the crimes is a good foundation for better relations," Josipovic said in an interview with the Media Servis radio network.

"I will also say that I am sorry that Croatia's policy was unfortunately one of the factors that contributed to the suffering of the people in that area."

In April 1993, Bosnian Croat HVO forces attacked the predominantly Bosniak village of Ahmici, killing 120 civilians.

Josipovic is scheduled to officially visit Bosnia on Wednesday and Thursday.

Commenting on the economic situation in Croatia, Josipovic said the country was in a very serious and deep economic crisis, adding that the measures launched by the government were positive, but insufficient.

"I think it's time to launch serious, long-term measures," he said, adding that Croatia was late with reforms.

"We're definitely late. It's been less than a year since it was said that the country was not in a crisis. It was obviously a wrong and unrealistic assessment, and as the crisis gets deeper, it's harder to get out of it. I would say that the problem is growing by geometric progression. That's why it's important to show some results as soon as possible," Josipovic said.

He called upon the government to design comprehensive measures for economic recovery, because that those that had been launched so far were positive, but not enough.

Josipovic said it was important to attract foreign investors because Croatia no longer had accumulated resources, and stressed the need for the government to make investment-related regulations more flexible. He said his Economic Council would meet next week to discuss the matter.

Responding to questions put by the radio interviewer, Josipovic said he would not visit Bleiburg as long as the place was politicised and visited by "people in black who want to change history."

Bleiburg is a site in Austria at which a large number of retreating Croatian pro-Nazi Ustasha troops and civilians were executed by Tito's Partisans at the end of the Second World War.

Josipovic reiterated that he supported adoption of legislation that would allow publication of the Homeland War Veterans Register, adding that its publication would contribute to the image of the veteran community.

Josipovic confirmed he had received an official invitation to visit Serbia, adding that he would travel to Belgrade most definitely before the summer.

Josipovic said he would most probably attend the funeral of the Polish president who was killed in a plane crash last week.