The Embassy of the United States of America in Bosnia and Herzegovina announced on its Twitter profile that the US Government sanctioned individuals because their actions threatened the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not because of their ethnicity as claimed by individuals.
“It is quite obvious to everyone why the United States sanctioned Zeljka Cvijanovic, Nenad Stevadic, Radovan Viskovic and Milos Bukeljovic on July 31. Mr. Dodik and company can conjure up tall tales and conspiracy theories that he and his associates are victims of some imaginary anti-Serb policy, but the truth is that the United States Government sanctioned these individuals because their actions threatened the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, not because of their ethnicity. The claim that the sanctions are anti-Serb because some of those sanctioned are Serb is preposterous,” the Embassy stated.
“It ignores the fact that one of the sanctioned individuals is a Croat, not a Serb, and it arrogantly presents the other individuals as avatars of the Serb people. They are not. They are individuals, and they are responsible for their own actions as well as for bearing the consequences of those actions, just as Osman “Osmica” Mehmedagic and Marinko Cavara are,” it is said in the announcement.
The US Embassy emphasized that the United States has worked closely with and assisted people across all of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including Republika Srpska, for many years, investing hundreds of millions of dollars to support them and their aspirations to live in a peaceful, democratic, and prosperous country that affords them, their children, and their grandchildren opportunities to thrive.
“The actions of four irresponsible politicians does not and will not change the United States’ commitment to these shared objectives,” the Embassy stated.
