Despite being on the blacklist, the US has again approved a visa for Željka Cvijanović: She travels to Washington on September 1

(Patria) - Member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Željka Cvijanović will travel to Washington again on Monday, after holding a series of meetings in the United States in May with officials of that country. Despite being on the US blacklist since 2023, Cvijanović has been granted a US visa, Istraga.ba reports.

It is expected that Cvijanović will meet with US officials, although there is no confirmation of this at the moment. Given the deepening political crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and after Milorad Dodik was stripped of his mandate as President of Republika Srpska as a result of a final verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which he refuses to accept, Cvijanović's trip to Washington is likely taking place as part of American efforts to find a solution to the crisis.

Back in April, when she was Chairwoman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cvijanović was granted a three-month visa to enter the US. Cvijanović participated in the emergency session of the UN General Assembly regarding Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was held on May 5. She also traveled to Dayton, where a conference was held marking the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement.

On May 21, Cvijanović met with US Republican Senators Marsha Blackburn and Bernie Moreno.

During her stay in Washington in May, Cvijanović also held a meeting with US officials near the White House, about which she did not inform the public. According to information from Istraga, the Americans wanted to see Cvijanović at the helm of the SNSD. She then said that her president could only be Milorad Dodik, but not his son Igor Dodik, who is being imposed as a possible successor at the head of the party.

After that, the second-instance verdict of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina followed, by which Milorad Dodik, in addition to a one-year prison sentence which he has since paid off, was banned from political activity for six years.

Let us recall, the US Department of the Treasury on July 31, 2023 imposed sanctions on Željka Cvijanović, Nenad Stevandić, Radovan Višković, and Miloš Bukejlović.

The announcement of sanctions is a continuation of previously imposed sanctions and a ban on issuing visas for entry into the US with the aim of encouraging accountability for individuals who undermine democratic processes or institutions. These actions are part of broader efforts by the US Government to promote peace, stability, and functional democratic governance in the Western Balkans region, the US authorities stated at the time.

Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, then stated: “Such actions threaten the stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the hard-won peace underpinned by the Dayton Peace Agreement. Such behavior poses a further threat to the country's future path and its successful integration into Euro-Atlantic institutions. We will continue to support the citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and their efforts to uphold the rule of law and maintain peace and prosperity.”