Ahead of his departure, US Ambassador Michael Murphy, with the assistance of the US Department of Treasury, expanded the sanctions list targeting businesspeople and politicians from Republika Srpska. The updated OFAC (Office of Foreign Assets Control) blacklist includes Stasa Kosarac, Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers, as well as Mirko Dobric, Aleksandar Dobric, and Vlatko Vukotic. According to reports, these individuals are being sanctioned due to their “alleged connections with Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik and his son, Igor Dodik.”
Stasa Kosarac stated that being part of the defense of Republika Srpska’s interests and the Serbian people is an honor. He emphasized that these latest attempts by the outgoing ambassador and US administration will not diminish the intensity of their fight for the overall interests of the Serbian people.
“This is an additional motivation to stand with our people and rally around President Dodik’s policies and the institutions of Republika Srpska. We will continue to defend the positions of Republika Srpska and the Serbian people in a dignified, credible, and constitutional manner. These sanctions reveal their clear intention to combat Republika Srpska. Just as they came to oppose Srpska, we are here to fight for Srpska,” Kosarac stated.
Radovan Kovacevic, a delegate in the Serbian Caucus in the House of Peoples of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, described the new sanctions as a desperate attempt by the US Embassy in BiH to portray Republika Srpska as a destabilizing factor during the final month of the outgoing US administration.
Damjan Skipina, an SNSD member in the Republika Srpska Parliament, argued that these sanctions are part of a malicious tradition of undermining Republika Srpska and its democratically elected representatives. He noted that Ambassador Murphy’s policies are hypocritical and serve a clear agenda.
“He continuously works against the institutions and individuals of Republika Srpska, including President Dodik, who has received overwhelming support from citizens. This shows that what he says, does, and likely thinks are three different things. All in all, he is not our friend,” Skipina remarked.
Sanja Vulic, head of the SNSD caucus in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, accused the outgoing US administration of aiming to put all Serbs from Republika Srpska on the “blacklist.” She called this another example of the lack of sovereignty, human rights, and democracy in BiH.
“Their only fault is their love for Srpska, patriotism, and loyalty, which appears to irritate those imposing sanctions. It seems all Serbs from Srpska could expect sanctions ordered by Serbophobe Michael Murphy,” Vulic declared.
The updated blacklist also includes the Banja Luka-based company “Nimbus Innovations,” as well as “Vorto d.o.o” linked to Vlatko Vukotic, and “Zelena Jabuka d.o.o” and “Best Service,” associated with Mirko Dobric.
Source: RTRS
