“Plenković didn’t make a mistake by going to Sarajevo but he did make a mistake when he did not, consciously or intentionally, use the mechanism that Croatia has at its disposal in Brussels and that is to block the adoption of the conclusions that are in contradiction to Croatia’s starting positions,” Milanović said in a statement after attending a ceremony marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the Dr. Franjo Tuđman Military Academy.
Plenković visited Bosnia and Herzegovina last Monday. Several days later Milanović criticized the government’s support to the Council’s conclusions on enlargement because the final document does not mention the constituent states and the legitimate political representation of Croats in BiH.
Today he said that the time has come to replace Croatia’s Ambassador to Brussels, Irena Andrassy.
Milanović on Sunday canceled his visit to Travnik and Nova Bila, Bosnia and Herzegovina for security reasons, but today he would not discuss the security threats in question. He said he would visit Bosnia and Herzegovina some other time and that “no moral rabble-rousers would stop him.”
“I cannot be friends with everyone, especially not with the unitarist clique in Sarajevo who are posing as patriots, and I will oppose them,” Milanović said.
He said that the Serb member of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, Milorad Dodik, is provoking those people and that he can understand his behavior. “I understand such behavior, but I do not encourage it. Realistically, Dodik can do nothing to them. He doesn’t have two long barrels, which is good in this situation. He is provoking them, but he is dealing with people who are professional liars who would rob an entire community, Croats in BiH. Well, that just won’t go,” said Milanović.
He criticized the Croatian government for not doing enough to protect the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The government is ignoring its job and what it has at its disposal. Those are diplomatic measures to protect state interests, in this case, the Croats in BiH”, said Milanović.
“Bosnia and Herzegovina cannot exist without Croats. They are the smallest constituent group, but they tip the scales for the country’s survival. If after all that a handful of unitary rabble-rousers, moral usurers don’t like me, that’s fine,” Milanović said.
He said that nearly 200,000 Croats remained in the Lašva valley. “If you talk to them, they are more for BiH than the Croats in Herzegovina – naturally. We are talking about that political community. They are loyal to Bosnia and Herzegovina,” said Milanović.
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