Ćudić: Blockades and games around the Southern Interconnection will not be tolerated

(Patria) - Political representatives from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina held a meeting at the Embassy of the United States of America in Sarajevo, discussing further steps in the realization of the Southern Gas Interconnection project, one of the key energy infrastructure projects in BiH.

The meeting was attended by the Prime Minister of the Federation of BiH Nermin Nikšić, Federal Minister of Energy Vedran Lakić, leaders of political parties Dragan Čović, Ilija Cvitanović, and Sabina Ćudić, as well as state ministers Elmedin Konaković and Edin Forto. The discussion was initiated by the Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy John Ginkel, with the aim of exchanging views on the project for which an agreement in principle was previously reached that its realization should be led by an American company.

Although political actors publicly express support for the Southern Interconnection, in practice there are different interpretations of legal solutions and political interests that affect the pace of realization. The appeal by the President of the Federation of BiH Lidija Bradara, by which a request for an assessment of the constitutionality of the Southern Interconnection Law was submitted to the Constitutional Court of the FBiH, attracted particular attention.

The President of Our Party, Sabina Ćudić, stated that the issue of the constitutional appeal was also raised during the meeting, and that it was discussed directly with representatives of the HDZ.

"If amendments to the Southern Interconnection Law concerning the necessary parts for a concession are approached, the question arises how the request for a review of constitutionality will affect it," said Ćudić.

She added that they received a message that such requests can be withdrawn if a political agreement on the law is reached.

"The clear message is that blockades and games that may be used for daily political purposes will not be tolerated, and that is key for us. We received guarantees that any games will not be tolerated and that this project should remain in the sphere of economy, not politics," she emphasized.

Speaking about possible amendments to the Southern Interconnection Law, Ćudić said that it is too early to talk about details, but that it is clear that the process will require political consensus.

"We will have to sit down and insist that the changes are productive. Given the vote counts in the House of Representatives and the House of Peoples, it is clear that everything will have to be agreed upon by consensus and, above all, be in the best interest of Bosnia and Herzegovina," she said.

When asked about the messages from the HDZ during the meeting, Ćudić pointed out that the conversation was predominantly technical.

"The meeting was mostly technical, related to the deadlines ahead of us. There were significantly fewer political messages than at the previous meeting, which we welcome in any case," she said.

Commenting on the announcements that the construction of the pipeline could begin in 2026, Ćudić warned that this is a complex international project.

"It is a huge infrastructure project. It does not depend solely on Bosnia and Herzegovina – a smaller part also depends on Croatia. I would not speculate with dates and years, but we certainly welcome the ambition of the minister and all actors," she concluded.

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