"Since we have the same ethnic origins, I have invited the chairman of the Bunjevci National Council in Serbia-Montenegro to attend a meeting on uniting the two national councils into one, which would be much stronger," Pekanovic told Hina on Thursday.
He also proposed uniting political organisations of the two ethnic communities.
"I believe that such a move would certainly be in the interest of the two sides and that the so-called Bunjevci issue would be solved after that," the Croat leader said, adding that an official proposal had been sent to Bunjevci leaders from this week's session of the Serbian government's council for national minorities, chaired by Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica.
Pekanovic said that he had not yet received any reply.
There are about 20,000 people in Serbia who declare themselves as Bunjevci and who negate their Croat origins.
The leading associations of ethnic Croats in Serbia believe that through their activities, Bunjevci institutions are contributing to the assimilation of Croats.