(Patria) - U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien stated very openly today that HDZ BiH leader Dragan Čović is blocking the Southern Interconnection, a natural gas pipeline towards Croatia.
It is interesting that O'Brien did not mention the fact that the Law on the Southern Interconnection was withdrawn from the parliamentary procedure by the new Prime Minister Nermin Nikšić.
Incidentally, the Club of Delegates of the Party of Democratic Action in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina has resubmitted the Proposal for the Law on the Gas Pipeline "Southern Interconnection Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia" into procedure.
The proposal was submitted under an expedited procedure, given the urgency of resolving the issue of energy stability in the FBiH and the need to diversify sources and routes of natural gas supply, which is one of the international obligations of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
However, O'Brien precisely stated that Čović wants to replace the transmission system operator – an established company owned by the Federation that has the technical expertise, resources and project documentation for the project's implementation – with a currently non-existent company that would be under his control and for his political and financial benefit.
Almir Bečarević, a gas policy expert and former director of BH-Gas, and later an advisor to the director at the same company, who has been involved from the very start in the Southern Interconnection project, says in a comment on what O'Brien conveyed that he himself has repeatedly insisted that the Southern Interconnection will not be prey for someone's narrow national goals and the enrichment of individuals.
"Today's statements by O'Brien are a confirmation of all that. The Southern Interconnection is a project of connecting two neighboring countries through this energy project, a project of bringing together all those who wish well for their region or municipality, and ultimately it is a project for the benefit of the entire FBiH and BiH.
When we worked on the feasibility study, the conceptual design and the environmental impact study, it was evident that all municipalities wholeheartedly support this project regardless of the fact that the bearer of this project is BH-GAS," said Bečarević.
He adds that the participation of municipalities and cantons was extremely positive and I hope it will continue to be so because the time for project implementation has come.
"The system operator in the FBiH was determined long ago and there was no need to needlessly lose two years in a contest over whether or not a new operator is needed. In these two years, the main project would have been completed, credit and grant funds secured, property matters nearly finished, and the tender for construction works ready.
With the readiness of the U.S. administration to continue supporting this project, I believe it will be realized as soon as possible.
BH-Gas is the one that will certainly be able to carry out this project, and therefore I hope that the HDZ will also start supporting the project, and gas transport was and will be a public service available to everyone," Bečarević emphasized.
(A. Čorbo-Zećo)
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