Former Croatian President Stjepan Mesic in Sarajevo: OHR should remain in Bosnia, ideas of reviving 'Herceg-Bosna' are "grotesque"

"I think it would be good for the OHR to remain for some time," Mesic said, commenting on the ongoing debate about the role of the international community in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He also criticised initiatives promoted by parts of Croatia's political right calling for the revival of the wartime self-proclaimed entity of "Herceg-Bosna", describing such proposals as unacceptable.

"Do you see what kind of scarecrows we have in Croatia? They come up with grotesque ideas that the world must never accept. They are proposing to revive something that has already been defeated and something that is unnecessary, yet now some people want to bring it back," Mesic said.

The former Croatian president stressed that the consequences of the wartime "Herceg-Bosna" project must not be forgotten.

"Calls to establish 'Herceg-Bosna' are grotesque. Where do these people live? There is a great deal of blood behind that project. That blood must never be forgotten. What was all of that for?" he said.

Mesic's remarks come amid renewed public debate over the future of the OHR, as well as political proposals concerning Bosnia and Herzegovina's constitutional and territorial arrangement.

The Office of the High Representative was established under the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement to oversee the civilian implementation of the accord and remains the final authority in interpreting the peace agreement.