The US sanctions the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and the head of Republika Srpska

2023-07-31 19:56:50, Kosova & Bota CNA

The US sanctions the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and the head of

Member of the Presidency of Bosnia, Zelka Cvijanovic

The United States has imposed sanctions on the Serb member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zelka Cvijanovic, and other senior officials from Republika Srpska, for undermining the 1995 Dayton Peace Accords.

The President of the Parliament of the Republika Srpska, Nenad Stevandi?, the Prime Minister of this entity, Radovan Vishkovic, and the Minister of Justice in the Republika Srpska, Milosh Bukejllovic, have also been added to the list of US Treasury Department sanctions.

The Treasury said that the sanctioned officials are directly responsible for encouraging the adoption of decisions by the National Assembly of the Republika Srpska entity to declare the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia as invalid in this entity. With this action, according to the US, they have threatened the implementation of the Dayton Agreement.

"These actions threaten the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the hard-won peace supported by the Dayton Agreement. This behavior further threatens the state's future trajectory and successful integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions," said Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Intelligence Financing, Brian E. Nelson.

"We will continue to support the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina in their efforts for the rule of law and ensure that peace and prosperity prevail," he added.

The President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, has sponsored the law that declares the decisions of the Constitutional Court of Bosnia in the territory of this entity invalid.

Dodik himself has been included in the US sanctions list several times. On January 5, 2022, the US accused him of having directly or indirectly violated, obstructed or threatened to prevent the Dayton Agreement from being implemented, but also accused him of being involved in corrupt activities.

Even in July 2017, the Treasury accused Dodik of obstructing the implementation of the Dayton Agreement.

Following the adoption of the law regarding the Constitution's decisions, the High International Representative in Bosnia, Christian Schmidt, on July 1 used his authority to repeal this legislation and publicly condemned the law, which he said undermines the constitutional order, the rule of law and the separation of powers. .

Despite the decision of Shdmidt, Dodik signed the law on July 7./ REL