Hypocritical Croatian Policy Towards BiH: Don't Trust Kolinda and Andrej Even When They Bring Gifts

By: Edina Latif

The policy of the Croatian state leadership towards Bosnia and Herzegovina is insincere and hypocritical. The Prime Minister of our Western neighbors, Andrej Plenković, immediately after his appointment, chose BiH for his first official visit, sending messages that our country will be the number one foreign policy priority for Croatia, and that they will continue to provide support, especially when it comes to BiH's European path, writes Patria.

In addition, Plenković reiterated that Croatia will not interfere in the internal affairs of BiH under any circumstances, and that they see us as partners.

It didn't take long for "European Prime Minister" Plenković and President Kolinda Grabar Kitarović to change their tune, and to crudely and directly interfere in the internal affairs of our country, by pressuring the BiH judiciary, no less.

Then came Kolinda's accusations that the biggest security threat to Croatia is precisely BiH, and that thousands of fighters are returning to BiH from the so-called Islamic State.

How, then, can we trust the Croatian Prime Minister and President that they genuinely want to help Bosnia and Herzegovina on its path to the European Union, with concrete actions – for starters, they announced assistance in translating and answering the European Commission's questionnaire.

Does their "generous" offer to help with the enormous task of around 3,000 European questions hide a trap, where instead of European answers, they will substitute Kolinda's 3,000 ISIL fighters?

Unfortunately, over the past two decades, this country has had bad experiences with the policy of official Croatia, which has been constant.

Tuđman's project of dividing BiH between Croatia and Serbia, the "humane resettlement" of Croats from Central Bosnia to the Herzegovina regions, the sale of Posavina, and finally, now, the creation of the Croatian capital city of Mostar as the "centerpiece" of a third entity that does not include Croats from Central Bosnia and Posavina.

The greatest damage from all these projects has always been and will be to the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The policy from Pantovčak (the President's office) over the past two decades has been most detrimental precisely to BiH Croats.

The Croatian Prime Minister and President should therefore be very careful when making statements, and their messages of support for a unified and prosperous BiH, without interfering in internal affairs, should always be accompanied by corresponding actions.

And not according to the principle of saying one thing and doing another, all under the guise of alleged concern for compatriots in the neighboring country.

Croatia, as a member of the EU and NATO, should finally define and disclose its policy towards our country and determine Croatia's state interest in BiH, rather than it being the interest of HDZ BiH leader Dragan Čović.

Only in that case would our country, after so long, finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief and begin to believe in the sincerity of official Zagreb's intentions when sending messages of support for a unified BiH and opposing divisions.

Until then, do not trust the Danaans (Kolinda and Andrej) even when they bring gifts.