Croatian President Ivo Josipovic told the Sarajevo-based weekly "Dani" that he was confident an agreement on forming a government in Bosnia and Herzegovina was possible, calling on those in high positions to invest more efforts so that a compromise could be reached.
"I sincerely believe that those (in high positions) have an obligation to give more, to accept a bigger compromise - if they are strong this will not harm them and in the long run everyone will benefit from it," Josipovic said in the interview published on Thursday.
The Croatian president said he personally knew all prominent politicians in Bosnia and that he believed in their competence and responsibility.
Commenting on the position of the Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Josipovic stressed that Croats must have equal institutional rights as the other two peoples in Bosnia, as it is the only guarantee of full equality. Croats in Bosnia are not a minority, regardless of their number, Josipovic said adding that institutional mechanism for the protection of Croats should be stronger given the fact that the number of Croats in Bosnia is reduced compared with the prewar period.
Josipovic was also asked to comment on the case of Croatian war veteran Tihomir Purda, who was arrested in Bosnia early in January on an international warrant issued by Serbia. Purda is now in custody in Zenica awaiting a decision by the Bosnian State Court on Serbia's request for his extradition to face charges of war crimes allegedly committed in the Vukovar area in 1991.
Josipovic said he trusted the Bosnian judiciary. "I am hoping for a responsible and just decision which will take into account all circumstances, and notably the place and the way statements had been extorted in prison camps, which according to the indictment accuse Purda," Josipovic said.
He reiterated that regardless of the doubts concerning further EU enlargement "there is no chance that Croatia will let Bosnia and Herzegovina be a forgotten black hole in the Balkans".
