Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Wednesday tried to play down criticisms from some of Bosnia and Herzegovina office-holders because of Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik's Zagreb visit, saying there was "no secret in it" and that they would discuss infrastructure projects.

Dodik, the Serb member of BiH’s Presidency, will hold separate meetings with Plenkovic and President Zoran Milanovic.

The Presidency’s Croat and Bosniak members criticised Plenkovic and Milanovic for receiving Dodik, who questions the survival of BiH and pushes for the secession of its Serb entity, Republika Srpska.

Speaking to the press, Plenkovic said Milanovic informed him of Dodik’s arrival. Dodik expressed a wish to meet with Plenkovic too.

„There’s no secret… We agreed that he should come to the government so that we can see what the situation is… bridges, roads, many issues which we must see to. And that’s it,“ the prime minister said, calling the talks with Dodik „a working meeting without too much drama.“

He said that „if someone on BiH territory, someone within Republika Srpska, is planning a motorway whose route envisages demolishing the houses of the Croats who live there, then it’s my duty, as Croatia’s prime minister, to call Mr Dodik and ask if the route can go some other way.“

Asked if Dodik could be a partner to Croatia given his views, Plenkovic said his position on BiH was clear. „It is our friendly, neighbouring country which we support in the process of internal reform and on the EU and NATO path.“

„I was in Sarajevo, held a session of the Council of Ministers and the Croatian government, had a series of meetings, and I will have them in future too with the other stakeholders in BiH as well,“ Plenkovic said.