site.btaBosnian Serb Leader Dodik Attends National Prayer Breakfast in US, No Serbian Politician Reports Invitation

Not a single Serbian politician has publicly announced receiving an invitation to this year’s National Prayer Breakfast, which is being held in Washington, D.C., from February 4 to 6, regional television station N1 reported.

For years, Serbia’s current Interior Minister Ivica Dacic was regularly invited to the National Prayer Breakfast during his tenure as foreign minister. The event, held every first Thursday of February since 1953, spans three days and serves as a forum for discussions on global issues, religious tolerance, and mutual assistance.

Prominent opposition figure Vuk Draskovic, who also served as foreign minister, continued to receive invitations long after leaving diplomatic service, N1 recalled.

Former minister and businessman Nenad Popovic, known for his close ties to Russia, was also among invitees in previous years, according to the regional media outlet.

Former Serbian ambassador to the United States Milan St. Protic told N1 that Serbia is "angry with the Americans and does not want to send anyone important." He linked this stance to US sanctions imposed on Serbia’s only oil company, NIS, which took effect in October last year after repeated delays. Washington has conditioned the lifting of the sanctions on the sale of Russia’s majority stake in the company.

Meanwhile, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik is already in the United States and has shared posts and photos on social media related to his participation in the National Prayer Breakfast.

"It is an honor for me to attend the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., a place where faith, responsibility, and common-sense politics meet," Dodik wrote on X.

Acting President of Republika Srpska Ana Trsic Babic and the Serbian member of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zeljka Cvijanovic, have also arrived in Washington, where they held a series of meetings.

In October last year, the United States removed Dodik from the sanctions list administered by the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Department of the Treasury. The politician, who is close to Kremlin, had previously been sanctioned by both the US and the UK over actions that Western governments say aim to separate Republika Srpska from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In addition to Dodik, sanctions were lifted against 48 other natural and legal persons, including members of his family, their companies, and close associates.

Sanctions were also removed against Zeljka Cvijanovic, Srebrenka Golic, chair of the Council of Peoples of Republika Srpska, and Gerard Selman, president of the Constitutional Court of Republika Srpska, among others.