State Department: The US will use all means against those who do business with entities under US sanctions

The United States of America (USA) will use all the means at its disposal against those who do business with entities under US sanctions, a spokesman for the State Department told Radio Free Europe (RSE).

RSE found that at least two Montenegrin state companies cooperate with companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), which were subject to US sanctions in June due to their connection with the family of the President of Bosnia and Herzegovina. entity Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik.

"Financial institutions, persons and other entities that carry out transactions or activities with sanctioned persons can expose themselves to sanctions," said the spokesman of the State Department in response to RSE's question about the cooperation of Montenegrin state firms with sanctioned companies from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In mid-June, the US Treasury Department's Office for Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned two persons and seven companies from BiH, which are associated with the Dodik family.

"Infinity International Group", "Kaldera company" and "Prointer ITSS", among others, were placed on the "black list".

They are part of a network, as the OFAC statement points out, that provides "significant sources of income" for Dodik and his family.

"Dodik used his official position to accumulate personal wealth through companies associated with him and his son, Igor Dodik," the spokesperson of the State Department told RFE/RL.

"Infinity International Group" denied any connection with that family.

Dodik himself has been under US sanctions for a long time, as have his son Igor and daughter Gorica.

When it comes to Montenegrin state companies, "Solar gradnja", one of the companies of Elektroprivreda Crne Gore and the Montenegrin Electric Distribution System (CEDIS), have contracts with companies from the "black list".

Namely, in March, three months before the US sanctions, "Solar gradnja" signed a cooperation agreement with the Bosnian company "Kaldera company".

Since 2020, the Podgorica company "Infinity ITSS and energy" has been operating in Montenegro, whose co-owner is the Bosnian company "Infinity international group" under American sanctions.

It has received three state CEDIS contracts worth 475.000 euros for the last year and a half, independently or as part of a consortium with the sanctioned "Prointer ITSS".

The last contract, which the company won independently, was signed in mid-April.