President Zoran Milanovic on Monday "expressed satisfaction" with the NATO's communique "making a reference to the Dayton Accords" in the Bosnia and Herzegovina section, but he was also worried by some member-states' resistance to the insertion of that reference into the final text, state agency Hina reported.

“I am both satisfied and worried, because the developments surrounding that part of the communique, which is interesting to us, have not been normal,” the Croatian president said.

“We will have to check what is behind that, and how come that some members undermine and overtly obstruct efforts to make mention of the Dayton Accords, as if that were something toxic,” Milanovic said after the end of the NATO summit meeting in Brussels.

The Croatian head of state went on to say that he managed to ensure the insertion of the reference at the last moment.

“Had I failed to do that, we would have had a statement which would look like as if it had been written by an adherent or advocate of the so-called civic Bosnia and Herzegovina, and that cause is ostensibly noble but is actually a hoax.”

The president added that Croatia’s diplomats should find out the reasons for such obstructions to the mention of the Dayton agreement so as to prevent recurrence of such developments in the future.

This makes me conclude that there are some who have creative plans for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Nevertheless, Croatia as well as the Bosnian Serbs, who were not our allies in the war but adversaries, will have something to say on this topic, he added.

On the other hand the Bosniaks were our allies for the most part of the war, but what interests me in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a whole and a country with its territorial integrity is the destiny and the fundamental voting rights and citizens’ rights of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Croats, of whom the lion’s share are citizens of Croatia, too, Milanovic said.

It is important to mention the Dayton accords, otherwise, there are no Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and now somebody may raise the question whether it is important. For me it is important indeed, he said and expressed his opposition to anybody’s plans to perform experiments in a country neighbouring Croatia and a country based on the international agreement co-signed by Croatia.

He underscored that a half million Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina should continue living there.

NATO’s communique in 2004 ceased making mention of the Dayton agreement and since then the Dayton accords have not been mentioned by inertia. However, the Croatian side has raised the issue since the Bosniak representatives started trying to eliminate the concept of the constituent peoples.

Concerning the topic of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the latest communique of NATO, the relevant section of the document reads: “Allies strongly support the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a stable and secure Bosnia and Herzegovina in accordance with the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and other relevant international agreements, encourage domestic reconciliation, and urge political leaders to avoid divisive rhetoric.”

“We commend Bosnia and Herzegovina, an aspirant country, for its contributions to NATO-led operations. We are committed to maintaining strong political dialogue with Bosnia and Herzegovina, and offer our continued support to the implementation of all reform efforts, including through NATO HQ Sarajevo.”

According to the communique,”allies urge political leaders to work constructively and to demonstrate political will for the benefit of all in Bosnia and Herzegovina in advancing Euro-Atlantic aspirations by implementing the much-needed political, electoral, rule of law, economic, and defence reforms, including through the country’s Reform Programme with NATO, without prejudice to a final decision on NATO membership.”