The United States has removed former Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and member of the Bosnian Presidency Zelka Cvijanovic from its sanctions list, the Treasury Department announced Wednesday.
In addition to them, members of Dodik’s family, their companies and close associates have also been removed from the blacklist.
Dodik, the president of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats, was sanctioned twice for violating the Dayton Peace Agreement.
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) did not explain why it removed them from the sanctions list.
Also 48 individuals and legal entities, which were previously sanctioned under the Western Balkans Sanctions Program, were removed from the sanctions list.
Last week, OFAC removed from its sanctions list four individuals from the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, who were involved in organizing the Jan. 9 unconstitutional day celebrations.
It is about sanctions for Danijela Dragičević, Jelena Pajić Bastinac, Dijana Millanković and Goran Raković.
In December of last year, the Republika Srpska authorities signed a contract with the American law firm “Zell & Associates International Advocates” to lobby the US to lift sanctions against Milorad Dodik and Zheljka Cvijanovic, to promote dialogue between the Republika Srpska administration and Donald Trump, and to review the Dayton Agreement and the role of the High Representative in Bosnia.
According to the registration document obtained by Radio Free Europe (RFE), the law firm will achieve these goals in the US through communication with representatives of local executive and legislative authorities, as well as the non-governmental sector.
Until now, Republika Srpska’s contracts with lobbying and law firms in the U.S. have mostly dealt with investment promotion and legal advice, and these services have cost tens of thousands of dollars a month.
