Support to Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina is more than just declarative, said President of Croatia Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb on Monday, announcing the opening of new consulates in Bosnia's towns.

Speaking at a donor dinner for reconstruction of a Franciscan monastery in Bosnia's Posavina region, Plenkovic said he would continue advocating the equality of Croat people in Bosnia and Herzegovina. After the recently opened consulate in the central Bosnia town Vitez, he added, Croatia will open a new one in the south-western town of Livno, to adequately provide administrative services to the Croats who live in the area.

Ethnic Croats are one of three constituent peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, making a significant portion of the country's population. According to the 2013 population census, a little over a half million of Croats were living in the country.

The donor dinner was attended by Croat member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency Dragan Covic, Archbishop of Vrhbosna, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic and other officials.

The Franciscan Monastery Plehan, situated some ten kilometres away from the northern town of Derventa, was first constructed in the 1870s and fully destroyed at the beginning of the 1990s conflict. A cornerstone for reconstruction of the building was installed in June 2001.