Sattler's Lobbying: In Brussels he sought that EUFOR not send additional forces to BiH

(Patria) - Head of the EU Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina Johann Sattler has spent the past two months lobbying in favor of the Republika Srpska, Istraga.ba learns.

Specifically, Sattler lobbied in Brussels during June for EUFOR not to send additional forces to BiH, while in July at the BiH Presidency he asked BiH Presidency member Denis Bećirović to support Republika Srpska projects – the New Eastern Gas Interconnection and the construction of the Buk Bijela hydropower plant on the Drina.

After Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik this summer first informally, and then through the institutions of that entity, initiated the process of suspending the BiH Constitutional Court and several times announced secession, numerous officials in BiH called for strengthening EUFOR forces. Several calls for strengthening EUFOR forces were also made by BiH Presidency member Denis Bećirović.

“Given the latest dangerous unconstitutional decisions of the bodies of the Republika Srpska entity, with the aim of timely action and prevention of possible negative consequences, and preserving stability and security in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Western Balkan region, it is of utmost importance to urgently deploy additional and significantly stronger EUFOR forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the shortest possible time.

I believe that new EUFOR troops should be primarily deployed in the Brčko District of BiH, as well as in other strategic areas,” Bećirović stated for the Austrian Der Standard.

However, several weeks earlier, the head of the EU delegation in BiH, Johann Sattler, was convincing EUFOR command that there was no need for the engagement of additional forces in BiH. According to Istraga's information, Sattler was particularly opposed to the additional reinforcement of the Turkish contingent in EUFOR.

At the same time, Sattler and other EU officials were lobbying for Hungary to take command of EUFOR forces. Information about the “change” at the head of EUFOR was first published by Vienna's Der Standard.

Austria, that newspaper writes, is for the first time in 15 years handing over command leadership of the EUFOR mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina next year, and to Hungary. According to their findings, the new major general will be Laszlo Sticz. He will succeed Austrian Major General Helmut Habermayer.

Hungary, we recall, is very friendly towards Republika Srpska officials, and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán himself opposed the stance that the EU should impose sanctions on Milorad Dodik and other RS officials.

Besides the EUFOR case, according to Istraga's information, Johann Sattler also lobbied for Republika Srpska projects. Thus, during a recent meeting at the BiH Presidency, the head of the EU Delegation in BiH asked Presidency member Denis Bećirović to support the New Eastern Interconnection project, which would further strengthen Republika Srpska's ties with Russia.

According to Istraga's information, Bećirović rejected Sattler's proposal and maintained his earlier stance that he would not support energy projects from the RS until a gas law is adopted at the state level.

We recall that on June 21, the then Chairwoman of the BiH Presidency, Željka Cvijanović, proposed that the BiH Presidency make a decision to initiate the procedure for conducting negotiations with Serbia regarding the construction of the New Eastern Interconnection.

However, when BiH Presidency members Željko Komšić and Denis Bećirović said they would not vote for that decision without prior adoption of the gas law at the BiH level and adoption of decisions related to the Southern Interconnection, Cvijanović removed the New Eastern Gas Interconnection from the agenda.

We recall that the Council of Ministers of BiH, at its session held on May 11 this year, established the Proposal for a preliminary draft of the interstate agreement between BiH and Serbia on the construction of the New Eastern Interconnection gas pipeline between BiH and Serbia.

The New Eastern Interconnection is a joint project of Serbia and Republika Srpska that was initiated without the consent of the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agreement on the construction of this gas pipeline was signed in March last year by officials of Republika Srpska and the Republic of Serbia. The main gas pipeline from Serbia to Republika Srpska, it was announced then, along the route Inđija – Mačvanski Prnjavor – Bijeljina – Doboj – Banja Luka – Prijedor – Novi Grad, should be completed within the next five years. This would be the second gas interconnection between Serbia and Republika Srpska, i.e., BiH.

Given that this is an interstate project, the consent of BiH institutions is required.

Likewise, the RS authorities are also advocating for the realization of the project to build the Buk Bijela hydropower plant on the Drina. Republika Srpska planned to build this energy facility with the Republic of Serbia. However, since it is an interstate agreement, the consent of BiH institutions is required, and the BiH Presidency has a key role. Therefore, Sattler tried to lobby the BiH Presidency to make a decision in favor of Republika Srpska, believing that this would “de-escalate” the situation in BiH.