Outstanding issues in relations between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are also the result of the fact that "a conflict of low intensity" suited some people who used it for daily political purposes or political projects and this is the reason why none of the outstanding issues have been resolved over the past years, Croatian Prime Minister Zoran Milanovic said in the central Bosnian town of Vitez on Monday.
Commenting on the first day of his official visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina during which he held talks with state officials in Sarajevo and with Croat officials and business people from central Bosnia in Vitez, Milanovic told reporters he was aware that his government would be assessed also by its ability to resolve at least some of the outstanding issues.
He added it was important to highlight issues which the two countries wanted to resolve as soon as possible.
Milanovic said that the two countries should consider arbitration regarding the border issue.
"This is a civilised way of resolving disputes. Whatever the cost, it is cheaper than the alternative - a constant conflict of low intensity," the Croatian PM said.
He explained that Croatia was under no pressure to resolve outstanding issues with Bosnia, but that solving those issues was in its interest because Croatia needed a stable and functional neighbour.
Milanovic declined to comment on media claims that his relationship with the president of the Social Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (SDP BiH), Zlatko Lagumdzija, has cooled down over Milanovic's announced meeting with the leaders of the two Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) parties in Bosnia.
Lagumdzija and the Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nermin Niksic, were scheduled to attend a lunch given in Milanovic's honor, but they failed to show up.
