The US Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina said it has received numerous inquiries regarding outrageous claims made in a recent report on US policy regarding the Southern Interconnection.
“We thought it would be helpful to explain our support for a project that will strengthen regional energy security in BiH and the Western Balkans as well as create jobs in Herzegovina and provide access to new, reliable sources of energy that will help businesses grow and create prosperity.
The United States and the Embassy have been working diligently to end BiH’s total dependence on Russian gas for many years. There is nothing last-ditch about it. In early 2020, American experts began working with officials from the previous Federation of BiH (FBiH) government as well as others in the international community to draft framework legislation that would allow the SIC to move forward. This work has always involved Croats, including individuals from HDZ BiH, and considered Croat interests. From the beginning the legislation provided for BH Gas, the sole gas Transmission System Operator (TSO) in the FBiH, to serve as the project investor. In fact, HDZ BiH members of the FBiH government and the FBiH parliament supported the law – in parliament they voted in favor of it on three separate occasions. Therefore, claims that the legislation failed to consider Croat interests lack any credibility.”
The embassy added that late 2021, the SIC legislation was approaching its final parliamentary hurdle, and if it had been adopted then, the FBiH would be three years closer to freeing itself from the dangers of dependence on Russian gas. Instead, Dragan Covic abruptly blocked the project and began demanding a new TSO. Since then, all parties in the FBiH worked together to resolve Mr. Covic’s alleged concerns about legislation his party had previously supported. Every time FBiH-based parties proposed a solution, Mr. Covic raised yet another specious claim to justify continued obstruction. The unfortunate truth is that Mr. Covic stopped considering the interests of Croats in BiH, if he ever did, when he decided to arbitrarily block the SIC. Mr. Covic is interested only in the creation of a company that he can control for his own personal political and economic benefit. Those prepared to support the SIC only if it personally benefits Mr. Covic are not supporting Croats in BiH, and they are not interested in ending BiH’s dependence on Russian gas. Both have been U.S. objectives from the beginning regarding the SIC.
“The United States has been a strong supporter of all BiH’s constituent peoples and its citizens for more than 30 years, and this has been consistently reflected in the work of the Embassy, including over the last four years. Indeed, we have been criticized for our support for the protections provided to the constituent peoples within the Dayton Peace Agreement and for our support of the implementation of the BiH Constitutional Court’s Ljubic decision. We have opposed destructive ethnonationalism from political leaders whether they are Bosniak, Croat, or Serb, and we have opposed corrupt ethnonationalist patronage networks whose actions threaten the democratic and economic future of BiH citizens whether those citizens live in Banja Luka, Mostar, or Sarajevo.”
It was further added that in this instance, Mr. Covic has conspicuously rejected opportunities to advance the SIC at every turn, which has only prolonged BiH’s dependence on Russia. If there is a single individual responsible for maintaining Russia’s energy dominance in BiH, it is Mr. Covic. Tomorrow, FBiH parliamentarians have an opportunity to change that while bringing economic benefits to FBiH residents, including Croats. The question for them and others is, will they support BiH citizens and their future prosperity or vote for Russia and its interests?
