"First and foremost, the support that Ms. Darijana Filipović received today for her nomination as a candidate for the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina from the Croatian people is important. Today, we heard from all actors that she enjoys their support, and that consensusually. We will, of course, as party leaders, join that support," Plenković stated.
Plenković added that the priority of the Government of the Republic of Croatia is the equal status of Croats as a constituent people in BiH, the European path of BiH, and strengthening good neighborly relations.
"We expect the Croatian people to have their legitimate representatives and to be adequately represented in the highest institutions of BiH. We believe it is necessary to reach a political agreement within BiH on the reform of the Election Law to protect the equality of all three constituent peoples and enable the stable functioning of the country. Croatia remains the loudest advocate and supporter of BiH's European path, which is the only guarantee of the country's stability and prosperity," Plenković said.
The Croatian National Assembly (HNS) announced that tonight's meeting of the delegation of the Croatian National Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, led by Dragan Čović, with Plenković and his associates took place in an atmosphere of partnership dialogue, confirming a strong partnership and the continuation of strong support for the Croatian people and Bosnia and Herzegovina, particularly, as they stated, in light of today's decisions and clear messages about the need for legitimate political representation of the Croatian people in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The HNS stated that the meeting also discussed current political circumstances in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and support for developmental and strategic projects in cooperation with Croatia. They added that special attention was paid to further strengthening stability, the European path of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and joint action in protecting the political rights of the Croatian people as one of the three constituent peoples.
They added that during the talks, the importance of Croatia's continuous support to Bosnia and Herzegovina was emphasized, with partnership with Croatia remaining an important pillar in political, economic, and developmental terms.
"We are developing cooperation in all areas, and numerous projects in Mostar and throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina confirm the lasting support of the Republic of Croatia. All ministers in the Government of the Republic of Croatia have been given a permanent mandate to support all joint projects of interest for strengthening relations between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina," Plenković stated.
A clear need to preserve a stable and functional Bosnia and Herzegovina was also expressed, especially in the time leading up to the upcoming General Elections. At the press conference after the meeting, messages about the upcoming General Elections, the stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the legitimate political representation of the Croatian people were further emphasized.
"Bosnia and Herzegovina is a democracy, and everyone has the right to express their political ambitions, plan their political decisions, and candidacies. We will see if there will be more candidacies, and this will be discussed in the coming days and weeks among political actors in Bosnia and Herzegovina and within the HNS itself. However, as far as I know, Ms. Filipović is the only one with realistic chances for success, i.e., victory in the elections. In any case, we want the Croatian people to have their legitimate representative in the upcoming elections in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and I am sure that Ms. Filipović, who is already highly experienced, will lead an excellent campaign and gain the support of as many voters as possible," Plenković said.