OPEN BALKANS ENERGY What was discussed in Belgrade: Regional market or an attack on BiH's energy sovereignty

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In Belgrade on Thursday, representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Albania agreed to invest in renewable energy sources and a regional market to ensure a secure energy future for the countries of the region.

This is the summary of the conference "Investment Opportunities in Renewable Energy Sources in the Western Balkans" held under the auspices of the Government of Norway. What benefits can BiH gain from a common energy market, is an open energy Balkans being created, is there a political background to this seemingly purely economic agreement...?, writes Faktor

Amer Jerlagić, former director of Elektroprivreda BiH and president of the Party of BiH, separates the economic and political aspects in his analysis of the Belgrade meeting.

- Europe is aware of the energy potential of the Western Balkans. Hydro potential, wind potential, solar potential, all these renewable energy sources are now in focus on a global level.

It should not be surprising that this meeting was held under the auspices of Norway, as this Scandinavian country is a leader in Europe when it comes to renewable energy sources. This agreement means more liberal relations in the region when it comes to the energy sector - Jerlagić told Faktor.

The political aspect of this whole story is much more complex, and even more dangerous for the state of BiH.

- There is no sovereign state without its sovereignty when it comes to energy. We must be very careful, what if neighboring countries become owners of our energy facilities through the back door, all under the guise of some open energy Balkans - warns Jerlagić.

Precisely, Zoran Tegeltija, the chairman of the Council of Ministers in a technical mandate, spoke in Belgrade, following the pattern of his party leader Milorad Dodik, about blocked projects orchestrated by "political Sarajevo", mentioning the construction of the Buk Bijela Hydroelectric Power Plant on the Drina River...

- Look, the Drina is a border river and it should not be handed over to a foreign investor, except in its middle course where the border between BiH and Serbia is. Why doesn't Belgrade and Aleksandar Vučić propose joint projects with BiH there? No, it is more interesting for them, and it is not by chance, to become owners of facilities on the territory of BiH.

These are HE Buk Bijela, HE Foča, and HE Paunci. I remind you that it is planned for the Government of Serbia to be the majority owner of HE Buk Bijela, which is an attack on the energy sovereignty of BiH. Also, it must be kept in mind that the Drina is the only river with untapped energy potential, as much as 60 percent, and that is why it is interesting to everyone, especially our neighbors - emphasizes Jerlagić.