Lithuania has imposed sanctions on Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and two of his close allies – Republika Srpska Prime Minister Radovan Višković and parliamentary speaker Nenad Stevandić.
The three politicians were added to Lithuania’s list of personae non gratae in late April, barring them from entering the country. The entry ban will remain in place until mid-April 2030.
“The sanctions were imposed for actions that threaten the stability, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as peace and the Dayton Peace Agreement. These actions could destabilise the region and pose additional threats to European security,” the Foreign Ministry told BNS on Wednesday.
The ministry said the move followed consultations with Lithuania’s allies.
Some other EU and NATO countries have also imposed sanctions on the three Bosnian Serb officials.
Political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina have persisted for years.
This year, Dodik was convicted of defying the orders of Christian Schmidt, the international envoy overseeing the implementation of the Bosnian peace agreement.
Despite the ruling, the Republika Srpska president pushed through legislation barring federal police and courts from operating in the territory under his control.
The Constitutional Court later ruled the legislation invalid.
In mid-March, prosecutors issued an international arrest warrant for Dodik over charges of attempting to secede from Bosnia and Herzegovina and disregarding the constitution.
The leader has repeatedly threatened to separate Republika Srpska, a predominantly Serb region, from Bosnia’s central institutions, including the military, judiciary and tax system, prompting the United States to impose sanctions.
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