Bosnia is among Croatia's top priorities due to the border and history the countries share, as well as because of the constitutional obligation Croatia has to look after Croats living in Bosnia, Croatia's President, Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, told the local Vecernji List newspaper.

“My sincere wish is to increase the interest of the international community into the southeast of Europe, especially into Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to support the build up of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a modern European country for all of its peoples,” Grabar Kitarovic said.

“I emphasize – for all of its peoples. Because in everything the Republic of Croatia and its representatives are doing, we respect the concept of equality of the three constitutionally defined peoples and members of other groups living in Bosnia,” she added.

Grabar Kitarovic urged Bosnia's political leaders to find a solution to the burning issue of the country's Election Law by themselves, saying that leaving the issue for the international community or for Bosnia's top official, the High Representative, to solve, is a bad way to go.

„I don't think that leaving such solutions to the international community or implementing the (High Representative's) Bonn powers in regard to this issue, which has previously proven to be bad practice, especially in regard to the position of Croats, or shifting the responsibility onto the Central Election Commission, are steps in the right direction,” she said.

Due to the failure of Bosnia's political leaders to change the country's Election Law, it is now unclear how the results of the upcoming October election are to be implemented.

Two years ago, the Constitutional Court declared that certain articles within the Law which treat the matter of representation in the House of Peoples of Bosnia’s semi-autonomous entity are unconstitutional.

Most notably the main ethnic Croat party, the Croation Democratic Union (HDZ) and the main Bosniak party, the Party of Democratic Action (SDA), have negotiated on how to change the Law numerous times, but have failed to find an agreement.

The general election has already been announced for October 7, and political leaders have been asking the Venice Commission and other international actors, such as the Office of the High Representative, to help and intervene in regard to the matter as soon as possible.

Grabar Kitarovic said Croatia will „continue to support Bosnia on its path towards EU membership and its complex reform process”.

She also touched upon the increased inflow of migrants in the region since the beginning of the year.

On their way towards Western European countries, migrants illegally cross the border from Bosnia into Croatia.

„The Republic of Croatia will do everything to protect its border and prevent all attempts of illegal crossing of the state border, and it has all the necessary means to do that. We are ready to help Bosnia and Herzegovina with this,” the Croatian President said.