Croatia is ready to help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its European journey with its experience but expects BiH's constitution and electoral law to be changed, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said at the end of a joint session of the two countries' governments in Zagreb on Tuesday.

Cooperation and Croatia's help on BiH's European path were among the main topics of the third joint session of the two governments.

“Croatia is ready to share its experience with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and it expects issues like the constitutional reform and the reform of the electoral law, which are the foundation of the functioning of any state, to be resolved,” Plenkovic told reporters.

The Croatian prime minister expressed confidence that BiH would embark on the next election cycle “with a new, fairer election system which guarantees the equality of all constituent peoples and all BiH citizens.”

The reform of the BiH electoral legislation was not on the agenda of the joint session of the two governments but BiH Prime Minister Borjana Kristo of the HDZ BiH party stressed that it was “an obligation of political representatives of BiH institutions.”

“I want to stress that that is an issue that still burdens relations, the political situation and the work of institutions in BiH, and ultimately the country's European path,” Kristo said.

Kristo, who chairs the BiH Council of Ministers, added that this was a priority issue and that BiH had committed to implementing within six months limited changes to its constitution and election law, as well as to implementing rulings by the European Court of Human Rights “to remove any kind of discrimination against any individual not belonging to any of the three constituent peoples.”

Bosnia and Herzegovina was granted the status of candidate for membership of the 27-member EU in December 2022.

Kristo said that BiH “is focused on the process of European integration and there is a political and institutional consensus on the matter,” as well as that it was up to BiH politicians “how strong and fast the country will walk on its European path.”

Any kind of help from friends in the EU is “of great benefit”, she said.

Addressing the media, Plenkovic said that there is no topic concerning the two countries’ relations that was not discussed in the meeting.

Among other things, he emphasised the trade exchange, which amounted to 4.5 billion euro last year, as the evidence of intensive cooperation between the two countries.

“We are improving all infrastructural projects that will connect Croatia and BiH better,” he said.

Speaking about the issue of nuclear waste disposal on border between the two countries, which BiH authorities strongly object, Plenkovic explained that this is a location in the Banovina region, which is not inhabited and where they would store only the items that do not radiate much, such as gloves and other equipment.

“The location is not intended for the storage of spent nuclear fuel. We are not aware that there has been any incident anywhere in countries that have similar landfills. The landfill would be seismically resistant and water contamination would not be possible,” he said, adding that contamination ofwaste waters would not be possible and Croatia would apply the highest standards.

“It is not in our interest to endanger our residents, and not even the residents of a neighboring country,” he stressed.