During his stay in Derventa on Sunday within his two-day working visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Croatian president met Bosnian Serb entity's Prime Minister Milorad Dodik and after that Josipovic told the press that the return of refugees and internally displaced people was one of the main topics of their talks.
"A high number of Croats (from the Serb entity) are still not in their homes, A small number of them have returned and joint plans for registration of voters, incentives to the return and house reconstruction are a big and important step. I hope that we will implement all we have agreed today," the Croatian president said.
Josipovic went on to say that he strongly supported cooperation of Croatia with Bosnia-Herzegovina and its Serb entity, that is with all bodies and agencies that can work on the implementation of joint interests in the economy and sustainable return.
In response to questions from the press, Josipovic said that he and the Croatian government strongly supported the return of ethnic Serbs to Croatia.
In this context he underlined that during talks in Derventa Croatia's delegation also included Deputy Prime Minister Djurdja Adlesic and parliamentarians Vesna Pusic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) and Milorad Pupovac of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS).
Josipovic reaffirmed his support to Bosnia-Herzegovina as a peaceful and stable community arranged in the manner "which suits three peoples", that is the constituent peoples: Bosniaks, (Muslims), Croats and Serbs.
Milorad Dodik said that he personally had no reservations about the return of refugees and internally displaced people and called on them to return to their prewar homes in the Serb entity.
"The government of the Republic of Srpska can guarantee them security," the entity's leader told the press.
Dodik described Josipovic's visit as very successful and very important, and announced a series of meetings to agree on the implementation of that they had agreed today.
He added that the talks had revolved around the economic and political cooperation and around efforts to bolster mutual confidence, primarily in plans for the return.
He vowed that administrative agencies in the Serb entity would make additional efforts to enable the registration of refugees and displaced people who would like to participate in elections in Bosnia.
General elections in Bosnia are set for 3 October.