US and EU working on sanctions against Milorad Dodik

(Patria) - We are working with our European Union partners to impose sanctions against the destabilizing actions of Milorad Dodik, member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, stated Gabriel Escobar, Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs of the State Department.

Escobar said this on Thursday (October 28) before the Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives at a hearing on the US engagement in the Western Balkans.

Responding to a question from Congresswoman Ann Wagner about what the US is doing regarding Milorad Dodik's secessionist statements and obstruction of institutional work, Escobar said that Washington sees BiH "exclusively as a multi-ethnic, inclusive, and democratic country," and announced that he will pay an official visit to BiH in November.

"Unilateral withdrawal from central institutions is dangerous and reckless. We are working with our European partners, NATO, EUFOR, and the Office of the High Representative in BiH to prevent this from happening. We are working with our European partners to ensure that consequences are imposed for all illegal and destabilizing actions," said Eskobar.

Milorad Dodik, member of the BiH Presidency and leader of the Alliance of Independent Social Democrats (SNSD), has repeated several times during October that he will declare the independence of RS in six months if competencies are not returned to this BiH entity by then, writes Slobodna Evropa.

This includes withdrawing consent for the formation of the Armed Forces of BiH, the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH, and the Indirect Taxation Authority of BiH.

In addition, the National Assembly of RS adopted a law on medicines and medical devices on October 20, which provides for the establishment of an entity agency for medicines, which is not in accordance with the Constitution of BiH, which is part of the Dayton Peace Agreement from 1995.

In his opening address before the Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs, Gabriel Escobar said that the US and the EU are "exerting pressure" to speed up reforms in BiH on its path to European integration.

"Bosnia's clear path from Dayton to Brussels goes through continuous reforms, including electoral reforms, rule of law, and step-by-step economic reforms that will benefit all its citizens. We and the EU are exerting pressure for these changes," said Gabriel Escobar.

When asked by Congresswoman Claudia Tenny whether, 26 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in BiH, he would support the creation of a new agreement, "Dayton 2," Gabriel Escobar replied that he would not participate in it.

"The Dayton Peace Agreement has successfully maintained peace for over 25 years. I believe that with limited constitutional reforms, with gradual reforms of the electoral and judicial systems, BiH can become a much more functional state," he said.

Moscow and Beijing are actively opposing the Western integration of the Western Balkans, spreading disinformation and exploiting vulnerabilities to divert countries in the region from their democratically elected paths, Gabriel Escobar stated.

At the same time, the US official added, Russia and China are establishing an economic and political foothold in Europe.

"Russia uses its energy capacities as a weapon to pressure politicians, foster corruption, and stifle growth potential. The People's Republic of China (PRC) is also working to expand its influence in critical infrastructure and through economic coercion. We cannot allow them to succeed," he said.

According to him, the United States has provided over $2.4 billion in aid to the region in the past decade, and in fiscal year 2021 alone, over $145 million was allocated for assistance to the Western Balkans on its European path.

This is the first meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on the topic of progress in the Western Balkans.

The House Committee on Foreign Affairs is the body responsible for oversight and legislation relating to foreign aid, national security development that affects foreign policy, as well as the maintenance and implementation of peace and the enforcement of United Nations sanctions or other international sanctions.