The media reports in recent days that the Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Zeljka Cvijanovic, received a visa to enter the United States (U.S.) despite sanctions, open up numerous questions.
As stated, she is supposed to attend a session of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, as well as a conference on the Dayton Peace Agreement. What do such moves by the U.S.administration show and what kind and how much of an effect could it have for BiH?
Zeljka Cvijanovic obtained the visa as the Chairwoman of the Presidency of BiH, that is, as an official representative of BiH. Although without official confirmation, interlocutors explain that it is a short-term, one-time visa for entry into the U.S.
Measures banning entry or blocking property in the U.S. do not affect sanctioned officials much, especially if it is taken into account, and according to what is known to the public, that Cvijanovic requested the convening of an extraordinary session of the UN General Assembly at which she intends to speak.
“This visa for entry is a kind of message to Mrs. Cvijanovic, but also to the other closest associates of Milorad Dodik, that they still have time to save their own skin. The fate of Milorad Dodik is sealed and there will be no negotiations with him, but with his circle of associates, there is some room for agreement in exchange for their distancing themselves from Dodik,” believes political analyst Davor Gjenero.
The departure of Zeljka Cvijanovic to the U.S., despite being on the blacklist of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, says a lot about the U.S. attitude toward our country, believes analyst Velizar Antic. The new U.S. administration does not have the same position as the previous one, which imposed sanctions.
“Completely different rules of the game will apply. Another thing that is very important and which is very good for our country, this kind of attitude of the U.S. towards BiH can only mean that our political elites will turn more towards each other and strengthen dialogue,” emphasizes Antic.
It should be recalled that Cvijanovic received sanctions from the U.S. Government at the end of July 2023, among which, besides the blocking of property, was also a travel ban to this country. In the executive order based on which she received the sanctions, it is stated, among other things:
“The unrestricted entry of immigrants and non-immigrants into the U.S. who are not citizens would be detrimental to the interests of the U.S., and therefore the entry of such persons into the U.S., either as immigrants or non-immigrants, is hereby suspended, unless the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, determines that the entry of such person is not contrary to the interests of the U.S.“
However, this is not the first time that someone under U.S.sanctions received a visa to travel to this country.
“That visa in a way resembles the one that for each session of the UN General Assembly is received by the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lavrov, who with a limited number of associates can enter the U.S. only on that occasion, although he is otherwise under U.S. sanctions,” states Gjenero.
It should be mentioned that, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s statement from July 31st, 2023, when it was announced that sanctions were being introduced, Cvijanovic is one of four officials involved in actions aimed at undermining the state of BiH. She was placed on the sanctions list in accordance with the Executive Order due to responsibility for or complicity in, through direct or indirect participation in, violations or actions intended to obstruct and undermine the implementation of any regional security or peace agreement.
