"My relationship with Bosnia and Herzegovina is based on absolute respect for its sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence, as well as on the full equality of all three of its constituent people," Grabar-Kitarovic told a press conference after meeting with the Chairman of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidency, Mladen Ivanic, and Presidency members Dragan Covic and Bakir Izetbegovic.
Ivanic thanked Croatia for supporting his country in the EU integration process, saying that Grabar-Kitarovic had played an important part in it while serving as Croatia's foreign minister. He said it was important that the newly-elected President of Croatia had chosen Bosnia and Herzegovina for her first trip abroad.
"This shows the importance Croatia attaches to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and vice versa," Ivanic said. "Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina are two truly friendly countries," he added.
Ivanic described his talks with Grabar-Kitarovic as sincere and frank.
Grabar-Kitarovic said that considering the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina it was important to keep the focus of the European Union, as well as of the United States and NATO, on that country.
She welcomed the new EU initiative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, which emphasises the need to implement social and economic reforms, noting that this approach had its roots in the initiative Croatia had launched following a string of protest rallies in Bosnia and Herzegovina in February 2014.
"I can say without any reserve, and without being paternalistic, that Croatia will always be ready to offer Bosnia and Herzegovina political support," Grabar-Kitarovic said, adding that the two countries would remain friends as they always have been.
She said that outstanding issues between the two countries needed to be resolved, but noted that they were not given special attention during the meeting.
When asked to comment on the status of the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina and last Saturday's declaration of the Croat People's Assembly (HNS), which calls for federalisation of the country, Grabar-Kitarovic said that neither she nor anyone else from Croatia should be faulted for showing an interest in the status of the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
"As for the HNS declaration, I welcome its patriotic stance towards Bosnia and Herzegovina as a country of the Croat people, but I would not discuss details of it because that is Bosnia and Herzegovina's internal affair," the Croatian president said, noting that it was up to elected representatives of the people to agree on the internal structure and functioning of government. She said she would speak about Bosnia and Herzegovina wherever appropriate in order to help it.
Responding to a question about the status of the Serbs in Croatia, Grabar-Kitarovic said she would resolutely advocate respect for all of their rights under the law and would continue to promote them throughout the country, including in areas such as Vukovar.
"I think that an enviable level of ethnic coexistence has been reached in Vukovar, compared with international experience and what I have seen in the world. Not only do we need to maintain that level but we also need to ensure further progress," Grabar-Kitarovic said, adding that she would like to see the issue of refugee return closed as soon as possible.