Bosnia and Herzegovina's Croat leader Dragan Covic said in Zagreb on Monday that the way in which the Croats were currently treated in that country would lead to the non-functioning of the state.

“It is important to realise that it is dangerous to reduce the least numerous (constituent) people to a status of a minority,” Covic said referring to some statements made by Bosniak leaders in Sarajevo.

“This will be the path towards the permanent non-functioning of Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Covic said after Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic received him and Bosniak leader Bakir Izetbegovic of the SDA party for the talks in Government House in Zagreb.

The HDZ BiH leader Covic called for talks on this matter.

He added that the agreements on amending the election law and on holding the local elections in Mostar could be a starting point for bringing the views of the Croat and Bosniak sides closer.

The agreements have defined timelines and targets which should be achieved until the end of this year so that the issues could be hammered out in the parliament next year, Covic said.