Republika Srpska ramps up lobbying push in Washington

Republika Srpska has intensified its lobbying campaign in the United States by hiring the consultancy Tactic Global (also known as Tactic COC LLC), a firm with ties to the Republican Party, while conducting discreet meetings with individuals close to Donald Trump’s circle.

The agreement was signed with the Ministry of European Integration and International Cooperation of Republika Srpska, headed by Zlatan Klokić, which is responsible for the entity’s international activities within Bosnia and Herzegovina.

According to Intelligence Online, a specialist outlet on security affairs, the arrangement with Tactic Global provides Bosnian Serb separatists with wider access to Trump’s administration through veteran Republican strategists Matt Schlapp and Barry Bennett, who lead the newly established consultancy.

The information on these meetings emerges at a time when Bosnian Serb leaders are stepping up efforts to gain access to Trump’s inner circle. Željka Cvijanović, the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite Presidency, travelled to the US last week to meet with Assistant Secretary of State Marko Rubio.

Despite being under sanctions, Cvijanović obtained a US visa and recently announced on Instagram that she intends to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize – an accolade he has long sought.

The separatist president of the Serb part of Bosnia Milorad Dodik has repeatedly sought to overcome political pressure by the European Union by seeking help from both Russia and Trump.

Dodik’s diplomatic gamble: leveraging Putin and Trump to secure his political survival

Heritage Foundation backing

Republika Srpska’s lobbying offensive has also received support from the Heritage Foundation. In July, the conservative think tank published a report criticising the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which oversees implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, describing it as “an obstacle to state-building efforts.”

The government has also engaged multiple other lobbyists in a bid to lift sanctions imposed on Dodik, and his inner circle.

Though less than a year old, Tactic Global has quickly built an international profile through influential members and clients. Alongside Schlapp and Bennett, the firm includes Leonardo Scatturice, a former Argentine intelligence officer, and José Malea, who heads the new Forward Global office in Miami.

In June, Argentina’s State Intelligence Agency signed a contract with Tactic Global to mediate relations between the governments of Argentina and the United States. The firm also acts as a subcontractor for BGD Legal and Consulting in Kyrgyzstan, tasked with facilitating banking ties between US financial institutions and Kyrgyzstan’s National Investment Agency.

New US representative

Authorities in Republika Srpska have also secured a fresh lobbying channel in Washington. According to the Balkan Investigating Research Network (BIRN), a contract was signed also with the US consultancy “MO Strategies, Inc.,” whose founder has long-standing connections to the Republican Party.

Filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the contract states that “MO Strategies, Inc.” was retained by another US company, “Becker & Poliakoff,” which had previously represented Republika Srpska under an agreement concluded in June 2025, BIRN reported.

Under the new arrangement, signed on 1 July 2025, “MO Strategies, Inc.” will assist in representing Republika Srpska’s interests before the US Government on issues identified by the entity’s authorities.

The contract does not name the specific institution on the Bosnian Serb side, but the Banja Luka address of Bulevar Bana Milosavljevića indicates that the Office of the President of Republika Srpska is the contracting party. “MO Strategies, Inc.” is set to receive $10,000 per month from “Becker & Poliakoff,” though only when the latter is paid by Republika Srpska.

The contract was signed by Martin Obst, described on the firm’s website as a Republican strategist with over two decades of experience, including leadership roles in Trump’s 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns, as well as serving as senior political adviser to former Vice President Mike Pence.

BIRN reported that it had contacted “MO Strategies, Inc.,” Obst, and the Office of the President of Republika Srpska, but none were immediately available for comment.

Trump victory fuels lobbying drive

The stepped-up lobbying reflects Republika Srpska’s renewed efforts to engage the incoming US administration following Trump’s election win. The June 2025 contract with “Becker & Poliakoff” explicitly states that its primary goal is to “initiate and promote dialogue between the authorities in Republika Srpska and the Trump administration.”

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“Becker & Poliakoff” is listed as a subcontractor in the deal. Under its terms, $40,000 per month is to be paid to the firm by “Zell & Associates International Advocates,” which Republika Srpska engaged in January 2025 and which is directly funded by the entity.

The scope of the work includes efforts to lift sanctions against both Dodik and Cvijanović, BIRN noted.

Longstanding US lobbying

BIRN has previously reported that since 2013 Republika Srpska has spent around €20 million on US lobbying in an attempt to shift opinion in Washington.

While often railing against American policy in the Balkans, Bosnian Serb leaders have poured millions into defending their political standing, despite sanctions imposed on Dodik and other associates for undermining the Bosnian state.

With Bosnia now in its deepest political crisis since the 1992-95 war, Dodik appears determined to capture Trump’s attention.

A BIRN analysis of Republika Srpska’s earlier lobbying contracts suggests results have been modest at best. Nevertheless, in early 2025, the entity signed a fresh contract with Zell & Associates International Advocates, in partnership with BSI Public Affairs and BSI International Consulting. The deal, worth approximately €768,000, aims to improve Republika Srpska’s standing in Washington under Trump.

Caption: Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik, serving as the 8th President of the Republika Srpska, attends a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, 09 September 2025. EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY