Agreed-upon aggression on BiH's energy sovereignty, parallel and special relations as a tool!

By: Rasim Belko

While Elmedin Konaković, Nermin Nikšić, and Edin Forto - the first heads of the 'trojka', are waging internal wars at lower levels and settling scores with cadres they don't like at higher levels, the Republic of Serbia and the entity of Republika Srpska are preparing an open aggression on the energy sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The aforementioned trio at the head of the 'trojka' has clearly neglected their oath and assumed duties to protect the interests of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which particularly applies to Konaković and Forto.

The Council of Ministers, specifically the Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, Staša Košarac, has, through destructive actions, prevented the formation of the BiH Commission for Concessions, which the BiH Constitutional Court ordered to resolve the issue of the “Buk Bijela” Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Košarac did this on Milorad Dodik's orders, because the authorities in the Republika Srpska entity, under Belgrade's orders, want to eliminate the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, its institutions, and bodies from decision-making on the “Buk Bijela” project.

We remind you that this is a project where Elektroprivreda Srbije (a state-owned company) would lead the main role, and Elektroprivreda RS would be its partner. The goal of the “Buk Bijela” project is clear: the economic and energy strengthening of Serbia at the expense of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Drina River, in the part that belongs to our country, is state property, and the entire commotion around the mentioned hydroelectric power plant project is to dispute the ownership and jurisdiction of Bosnia and Herzegovina over the resolution of the construction of the hydroelectric power plant on the Drina.

Serbia is playing a double game, and while offering a story of cooperation and relaxation of relations to the laymen and naive members of the 'trojka', through special and parallel relations and the loyalty of the regime in Banja Luka, it is trying to seize the potential of the Drina and turn it into a significant energy and economic source of power for Belgrade.

For months, the 'trojka' has not mentioned the “Buk Bijela” problem at all, although this very project was one of the first detonators of the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which later intensified and culminated in the RS's attack on the constitutional-legal order and the BiH Constitutional Court.

And all this time, the 'trojka' has been talking about relaxing and de-escalating relations. The question is whether Konaković, Nikšić, and Forto have agreed with Dodik to cede “Buk Bijela” to Serbia and RS, and allowed them to do so outside the state institutions?

If they have, they should be in the dock just like their partner Milorad Dodik for anti-state and anti-constitutional actions. Because the story of “Buk Bijela” is more a story about the energy and territorial sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina than about energy and electricity.

If the 'trojka' has agreed that the decisions of the Constitutional Court are not necessary for Serbia to build a hydroelectric power plant on the Drina (state property), then the 'trojka' must be prosecuted for undermining sovereignty (territorial and energy) and overthrowing the constitutional order, because in that case, they too have ignored the decisions of the Constitutional Court.

And silence is a dangerous signal! Especially after the fact that the analysis of the progress of the “Buk Bijela” project is on the agenda of tomorrow's joint session of the Governments of Serbia and RS. Given the complexity of the relations, as well as all the decisions made concerning this project, it is clear that the governments of the neighboring country and the BiH administrative unit would have nothing to analyze if the 'trojka' had not given them a signal that it would be “completed”.

Knowing how much the 'trojka' members fear for their positions and how persistent Milorad Dodik is in blackmailing, there is a real fear that an agreed-upon attack on energy sovereignty could occur in the near future. That is, Serbia could obtain the necessary approvals for the construction of the “Buk Bijela” project through the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There is no doubt that Serbia will use parallel and special ties with RS as a tool to realize its goals in this plan, and all combined could turn the state property of Bosnia and Herzegovina into the golden goose of the Serbian economy.

It's not that we haven't witnessed similar phenomena before, but they were the result of the legacy of SFRY or armed aggression against BiH.

If Serbia is allowed to proceed with “Buk Bijela” in BiH institutions, it will be the first time that Sarajevo becomes an accomplice to aggressors in breaking down BiH's energy and territorial sovereignty.

And while Konaković, Nikšić, and Forto are putting out fires and quenching the thirst for power of their party pawns, plans for the final realization of this blow to BiH's energy sovereignty will be crafted on the territory of BiH, in Banja Luka.

And when the three-headed leadership of the 'trojka' sees clearly, they will be forced to permanently free us from the potential of the Drina and strengthen Serbia, which will use the money earned from our hydropower potential to buy weapons for new criminals. The Drina is turning red again, this time not from Bosniak blood, but from the fact that Sarajevo is handing it over to those who threw murdered Bosniaks into it.