Jandrokovic has not made a single mistake, Kosor told the press.

What the minister said in public recently was a response to statements by Social Democratic Party (SDP) leader Zoran Milanovic who, Kosor said, asked "that everything in the state be put on hold, including the appointment of ambassadors."

Jandrokovic did not make a procedural mistake, she stressed, adding she assumed that "the president responded on the basis of information from a government decision from 2001 and not from the government decision in force since 2004, which says that the foreign minister proposes to the government the appointment and recall of chiefs of diplomatic missions and consular offices, based on the previous consent from the prime minister and the president of the republic."

"So, for the president of the republic and I to agree, a list is necessary, which is the list Minister Jandrokovic sent to President Josipovic on July 6," Kosor said, adding that they had been waiting for a response since.

If the president thought on July 6, 7 or 8 that procedure was not honoured, someone from his office should have reacted, Kosor said.

"Not only has there been no reaction. Quite the contrary. The President's Office said on its website on July 7 that President Josipovic had received the government's proposal with the names of the ambassadorial nominees," Kosor said, adding that information was incorrect, as that was not a government proposal but a proposal to agree on.

She recalled that Josipovic told the media he would take a position on Jandrokovic's proposal by September 15, when he would invite the nominees to talks. "So, even then the president didn't think a procedural mistake had been made."

"It's not good for the president of the republic and the deputy prime minister and foreign minister to trade shots through the media and I will do my best for this dispute to stop," Kosor said, adding that she had sent a letter to Josipovic and expected a reply.

Kosor said it was not good that some names had been leaked.

Ten of the candidates nominated by Jandrokovic are career diplomats and five are contract diplomats, she said, adding that they were people with respectable resumes.

Asked what she would do if Josipovic were to insist that Jandrokovic be relieved of duty, Kosor said she did not "believe the president will insist on that."

She said she believed "this small misunderstanding" would be solved and that she would do her best for it to be solved to everyone's satisfaction, "first and foremost in the state's interest."

Jandrokovic recently said Josipovic's stalling with the appointment of the ambassadors was unusual, as it played in the hands of the SDP if it came to power in the upcoming election.