Speaking to reporters in Sarajevo, Tihic said that the state presidency was surprised by these developments.
"We are surprised. We know that there are separate policies regulating the issuing of US entry visas and the issuing of visas necessary for participation in the work of the U.N. and we hoped that Ivanic would not have any problem obtaining a visa," Tihic told reporters.
The Bosnian Presidency was aware of the fact that Ivanic, as leader of the Party of Democratic Progress (PDP), could be put on a list of persons banned from entering the United States in line with a decision which the US government passed in December 2004 in order to punish the PDP and the Serb Democratic Party (SDS) for insufficient cooperation with the Hague war crimes tribunal.
Ivanic was to travel to New York exclusively to attend the UN General Assembly session and sign a document whereby Bosnia-Herzegovina would become a party to the UN Convention Against Corruption.
The media in Sarajevo have reported that all other members of the Bosnian delegation expected to travel to New York have already obtained visas while Ivanic's passport is still at the US Embassy.