Nikšić's statements cause confusion: US Embassy reiterates the importance of the Southern Interconnection

By: A. Čorbo-Zećo

At an extraordinary session of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH, members of the Expert Evaluation Commission for issuing urban planning consent for the Southern Interconnection project were appointed.

HDZ deputies in the Federal Parliament were against or abstained during the vote, while deputies of the Trojka and SDA voted for the appointment of members.

This example once again shows that the HDZ has not abandoned its demands for amendments to the Southern Interconnection Law, although the Prime Minister of the FBiH, Nermin Nikšić, claims otherwise.

We remind you that Nikšić previously stated that possible amendments to the Southern Interconnection Law were discussed within the framework of coalition agreements. He stated that after these discussions, he even apologized to the President of HDZ BiH, Dragan Čović.

Later, in an attempt to soften his statements, he asserted that "it is a done deal" and that the law remains in force, emphasizing that it was adopted by outvoting the HDZ, but that other decisions in the Government were later made by consensus. Nikšić also blamed the US Embassy, saying that they outvoted the HDZ due to their pressure.

In response to our inquiry about the situation regarding the Southern Interconnection, the US Embassy did not wish to directly comment on the announcements of possible law amendments, but they reiterated their clear stance on the strategic importance of this project.

"The United States has been a consistent advocate for the Southern Interconnection since 2017," the Embassy stated.

"The Southern Interconnection will expand potential markets for American liquefied natural gas (LNG) and strengthen Bosnia and Herzegovina's energy security and economic prospects. The project is of interest to the national security of the United States and is in line with US energy policy," they said, emphasizing that they support the liberation of American energy resources, increased LNG exports, and strengthening energy resilience in the region.

Although the Embassy avoided commenting on internal political relations in BiH, they made it clear that they remain firm in their support for the realization of the Southern Interconnection, as a key step towards reducing Bosnia and Herzegovina's dependence on Russian gas.