The election of Zoran Milanovic as Croatia's president is expected to reduce unnecessary political conflicts and make everyone in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina turn to "serious work," according to BiH Foreign Minister Bisera Turkovic, the Sarajevo "Dnevni Avaz" daily said on Monday.

“Over the next six months Croatia is presiding over the European Union and I think it’s good the presidential election is over. We must turn to serious work and the demands the EU has set before us, where the neighbouring Croatia has a significant role,” Turkovic was quoted as saying.

She said her country needed good neighbours, partners and friends. “We didn’t choose our neighbours nor they us. Every smart neighbour and man will know that BiH is staying where it is as an independent and sovereign state. Therefore it’s better to cooperate with our country than attack it. The current rhetoric should be overcome as soon as possible.”

Turkovic said that after the formation of the Council of Ministers, BiH was on the right track to step up reforms and that the results could be felt very soon.

“Our priority is Euro-Atlantic integration… We must work hard on the implementation of the measures delivered from the European Commission and step up the implementation of the Reform Programme, the document which regulates our relationship with and NATO orientation.”