Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said on Saturday he had not talked yet with HDZ BiH president Dragan Covic, who has been criticised for attending a Republika Srpska Day commemoration, as has Ivan Del Vechio who, because of that, was dismissed as Croatia’s ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Hina news agency reports.
“I leave it up to Mr. Cović and the HDZ BiH to comment on this,” Plenković told reporters in Split.
He reiterated that Croatia had not been informed that Del Vechio would attend the commemoration in Banja Luka on January 9. He said Del Vechio should have consulted Croatia if he had a meeting in Banja Luka that had nothing to do with the commemoration. “He shouldn’t have been there on that day.”
Plenković recalled that Del Vechio had been Croatia’s ambassador to BiH five years and had never attended Republika Srpska Day commemorations.
“It’s a little unusual that he ended up in such a situation at the end of his term and career. That’s why he was recalled to Zagreb for consultations and we will start appointing a new ambassador to BiH very soon.”
Asked what message Covic had sent by attending the commemoration, Plenkovic said “it’s extremely important that Croatia’s stance on BiH is well-meaning and friendly.”
He added that Croatia had been the country “which has supported BiH’s European journey the most, but by ensuring the equality of the Croat people as a constituent people, of course.”
