Bosnian Serb Invites to Trump Gala Disputed

Republika Srpska Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic, along with the wife of the entity president, were in Washington on Friday to attend events surrounding Donald Trump's inauguration as new US President.

But doubts have emerged over whether Cvijanovic was invited in a public capacity to attend the inauguration ceremony, as Republika Srpska media claimed, or was merely attending side-events in Washington.

Cvijanovic on Friday stressed the importance of her visit to Washington, telling news agency Srna that the inauguration events were an opportunity to "nurture and develop contacts for the benefit of all of us". 

The head of the RS representative office in Washington, Obrad Kesic, also said he was encouraged by what he heard in conversations with members of the incoming US administration that he had also attended.

"I think that [a] change [in foreign policy] could happen faster than I expected, based on my talks yesterday. I think there is a room for the first time that US accepts the legitimate interests of the RS," he told Banja Luja-based media RTRS.

But while an invite published on the website of RTRS bore an official-looking eagle seal and the words "Inauguration Ceremonies Program" and with a headline including the words "official inauguration ceremony", the invite did not show a header or signature.

The statement on RS's government website said Cvijanovic was on an "official visit to Washington where she will attend the inauguration of the new President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, and related events within the inaugural ceremony".

But a statement sent by the US embassy in Sarajevo to BIRN appeared to dispute those claims, noting only that the Bosnian ambassador to the US had been officially invited...