Bosnian tripartite State Presidency agreed on Monday to extend an invitation to French President Emmanuel Macron for a visit but the three reached no consent on inviting President of Montenegro, Milo Djukanovic, to Bosnia.

French President expressed interest in visiting Bosnia last year after a group of alumni of the Council of Europe’s School of Political Studies sent him an invitation.

The call arrived soon after Macron’s interview with The Economist in which he called Bosnia a “ticking time-bomb” and a country “which faces the problem of returning jihadists.”

“Touched by your actions, the Head of State charged me with sending you a heartfelt thank you. Rest assured that he received your kind invitation with great interest. We will not miss to inform you about the possible visit of Emmanuel Macron to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Please receive our heartfelt greetings,” Macron’s office then replied to Bosnian youth.

The lack of invitation for Montenegro’s president was briefly explained by one of the Presidency members.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Serb Presidency member Milorad Dodik said they avoided “problematic” topics, explaining that he refused to give consent for Djukanovic’s visit because of current situation in Montenegro – the neighbouring country that is facing a turmoil over the recently adopted Law on Religious Freedoms which the Serbian Orthodox Church opposes.