Bloomberg: EEAS prepared a series of sanctions for Dodik's regime

The European Diplomatic Service (EEAS) has prepared a whole series of sanctions, which should be imposed on the regime of Milorad Dodik, the American newspaper Bloomberg (Bloomberg) announced.

At the meeting on February 21, the ministers of foreign affairs of that bloc, gathered in the Council for Foreign Affairs (FAC), will discuss this, according to the text, which was reported by the portal Politiki.ba.

It is added that such moves were announced by the EU's high representative for foreign policy and security, Jozep Borelj, reacting two days ago to the decisions of the Assembly of the Republic of Srpska to start forming its own High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC).

"The EU's foreign affairs service has laid out a range of options, including restrictive measures, that EU foreign ministers will discuss at a meeting in Brussels later this month, according to people familiar with the matter and documents seen by Bloomberg," it said. American paper.

The talks, it is further reported, "come at a time when the Bosnian Serb regime has taken steps towards secession from the rest of the ethnically fragmented country, ignoring last month's US decision to impose sanctions on (Serb member of the BiH Presidency and leader of the ruling SNSD) Milorad Dodik, who has already years in power".

"In one document, the EU suggested that it should consider restrictive measures, including asset freezes and travel bans, if the Republika Srpska, led by Dodik, unilaterally takes over powers from the joint state or otherwise takes actions that threaten the state," Bloomberg writes. .

Sanctions, however, should be considered as the last measure if other options for ending the crisis fail, as the measures could lead to the danger of derailing BiH's path towards the EU, the document states.

At the meeting of EU ambassadors on Friday, where the list of punishments was discussed, several countries, including Germany, requested that the measures against Dodik be combined, according to the insiders, the text reads.

Others, such as Hungary, argued that sanctions would be counterproductive, the newspaper said.

The text recalls that Dodik, an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, initiated a draft law earlier this week that would create a judicial system separate from the rest of the country.

That move followed a series of measures adopted by the Assembly of Republika Srpska in December aimed at severing security, administrative and military ties with the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The vote called for the acts to come into effect within six months, giving authorities time to prepare.

The text also states that "Bosnian Serb efforts towards greater independence have increased tensions between the two groups in the other half of the country, known as the Bosniak-Croat Federation."

"Croats demanded reform of the electoral law, complaining that their representatives were constantly outvoted by Bosniak votes in the country's three-member presidency," the text reads.

The EU has warned that security incidents are possible if Republika Srpska continues with "worst-case scenario" secession efforts.

In response to the current crisis, the ambassadors were informed that the EU has already started withholding part of the funds for infrastructure projects in the Republika Srpska.

The options document describes EU financial aid as leverage, noting that BiH currently receives €395 million in funds, as well as a portfolio of more than €242 billion in investments, including €XNUMX million in grants.

The ministers of foreign affairs of the Union will be asked to provide guidelines on the targeted use of EU financial assistance in BiH, as well as the potential use of restrictive measures as a last resort in case of further escalation of the situation, according to the document.

The EU assesses that there is no immediate danger of a new war in BiH, but assesses that the possibility of local conflicts cannot be ruled out and should not be underestimated.

The assessment also states that the external involvement of other countries, such as Serbia and Turkey, is increasing, as well as that there is a risk of interference by some other countries, which could use the divisions to further destabilize BiH.

It is also stated that in the past Russia and China threatened to veto the extension of the mandate of the European-led Stabilization Force (EUFOR) in the United Nations Security Council, writes Bloomberg.