The international community's High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Valentin Inzko, and the local Croat leader, Dragan Covic, seem close to renewing their communication and mending their relations despite Covic's recent criticism of the Austrian diplomat.

During an informal discussion on the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, held in late November before diplomats of the UN Security Council member states, Covic said that Inzko’s reports on Bosnia and Herzegovina did not reflect the real state of affairs in the country.

Inzko told the N1 Television on Thursday morning that he understood Covic’s criticism as well-intentioned, while the criticisms by Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik “crossed the line”.

Dodik said, among other things, that Inzko was “a prostitute” and “a monstrum”. He called former High Representative, the late Paddy Ashdown, a criminal in an attempt to discredit the role of the Office of High Representative (OHR).

Dodik, as well as Covic, also advocated the abolition of the OHR, however, the leader of the Croatian Democratic Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) used moderate language and insisted that Inzko’s reports did not provide an insight into the real state of affairs and enough information about the views of local Croat politicians.

The latest open letter from Covic prompted Inzko to say that he understands Covic’s criticism as well-intentioned.

“I perceive Covic’s letter as friendly, there are positive elements in it, he has extended the hand (of reconciliation) and we are arranging a meeting,” Inzko said today.

Covic’s letter highlights the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina’s election legislation has many deficiencies, making it possible for others to flout the electoral will of one of the constituent peoples and also being discriminatory against other citizens.

Covic believes that Inzko can have a crucial role in restoring the trust in the implementation of the reforms key to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Euro-Atlantic journey.