"We deplore the act of setting the Croatian national flag on fire. We recall that the Croatian Government yesterday voiced regret and distanced itself from the way how Nacional weekly joined in the publication of the cartoon and condemned any form of intolerance," Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic said.
"We are aware that the act is not the result of the official policy of Bosnia-Herzegovina, but I am in contact with officials in Bosnia-Herzegovina and am confident that the Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina will condemn the act and that everything will be done to preserve the trust and tolerance between the two peoples," the minister said.
Protest rallies in Sarajevo ended in the early afternoon without major incidents but with the setting on fire of the national flags of Norway, Croatia and Denmark. Several hundred protesters gathered in front of the embassies of the Western countries whose dailies published the controversial cartoons, and the Norwegian, Croatian and Danish flags were set on fire in front of the Norwegian embassy.
A smaller group of protesters, consisting initially mostly of younger men, grew in numbers as the protesters were joined by passers-by. The total number of protesters was slightly less than 1,000.
The Islamic Community of Bosnia-Herzegovina did not support the staging of the rallies.