Republican US Senator and Vietnam war hero, John McCain, was a "true friend" of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the head of Bosnia’s government Denis Zvizdic tweeted on Sunday morning.

“I am deeply sorry for the passing of Senator John McCain, a true friend of BiH. I would like to express my sincere condolences to the family and all American people,” the Chairman of Bosnia’s Council of Ministers tweeted.

McCain has died on Saturday, aged 81.

When the Senator visited Bosnia last year as the Chairman of the US Senate Armed Services Committee, he said the US expects Bosnia to activate the Membership Action Plan (MAP), the necessary condition for the country to make its next step toward NATO membership.

He spoke about his country’s support for Bosnia’s accession to the European Union, as well as for Bosnia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He underscored the importance of maintaining the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in the country.

McCain also thanked members of Bosnia’s Armed Forces for serving in Afghanistan.

The majority of the US Congress firmly stands behind Bosnia and its citizens, he said.

McCain visited Bosnia in 2010 as well, together with US Senator Joseph Lieberman.

Throughout his political career, McCain often spoke and wrote about the 1995 genocide in Srebrenica.