BiH Council of Ministers: Southern Interconnection held hostage by RS-Serbia gas pipeline

(Patria) – The session of the BiH Council of Ministers tomorrow will again include the item regarding the Southern and Eastern Interconnections, but in a second round of voting as there were not enough votes at the previous one.

Namely, although the project for the construction of the Southern Interconnection, which would connect BiH and Croatia, has existed for years, the BiH entity of Republika Srpska has also requested the Eastern Interconnection project, which would pass through the BiH entity of Republika Srpska to Serbia. The president of SNSD, Milorad Dodik, stated that without that project, there would be no Southern Interconnection either. At the proposal of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations, headed by SNSD cadre Staša Košarac, these two projects have been linked into one. 

The Southern Interconnection was supposed to be a strategic project of the FBiH Government. It would run from Zagvozd (HR) - Posušje (BiH) - Novi Travnik/Travnik with a branch to Mostar, thus ensuring gas supply.

The construction of the Southern Interconnection is supported by both the EBRD and the USA through USAID. Several meetings have been held in recent years with representatives of the FBiH Government, as well as cantonal governments through which the pipeline would pass.

What is problematic is that BH Gas has fallen out of favor with the FBiH Government, making BH Gas's further participation in the Southern Interconnection project questionable, and HDZ BiH has requested the establishment of the company Southern Gas Interconnection Ltd. Mostar, which would be the final blow to BH Gas and take over control of the new gas pipeline.

Given that this is an international interconnection, before the start of construction, it is also necessary to sign an intergovernmental agreement between the competent institutions of BiH and Croatia, which regulates mutual relations and defines the competencies and responsibilities of the parties.

The second part of the same agenda item is the Draft Basis for conducting negotiations for the conclusion of an Agreement between Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia on the construction of the "New Eastern Interconnection of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the Republic of Serbia" pipeline on the route of the border between the Republic of Serbia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bijeljina - Banja Luka - Prijedor - Novi Grad.

Milorad Dodik has also stated in public in recent days that he will not agree to the blockade of the gas pipeline and that he is ready to block all projects for FBiH until the construction of this gas pipeline is approved.

The silence of European and American partners who supported the Southern Interconnection project is surprising. Dodik's blackmail has been tacitly approved.