Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic opened on Tuesday a consulate of the Republic of Croatia in the central Bosnia's town of Vitez, which would provide consular services to nearly 100,000 people living in this part of the country.

“I hope this will be Croatian anchor in central Bosnia,” the president said, adding that this means concrete assistance to many ethnic Croats living in this part of the country.

Grabar-Kitarovic reiterated the support to Bosnia's integration into the European Union (EU).

“That is a prerequisite not only for permanent peace but for a better future for everyone in Bosnia. I am looking forward to the moment when you will be sitting with us together in Brussels, and be deciding on the future of the EU and our continent,” she concluded.

President of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of two Bosnia's semi-autonomous entities, Marinko Cavara, said the consulate opening was not only administrative support to Croats of the central Bosnia but to all peoples who live in that region.

“We believe that the Croatian President will too help Bosnia to take the path of European integration and building up the legal state where all of us will be electing our legitimate representatives, in order to have all constituent peoples and citizens equally represented,” said Cavara.