By the end of December, the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) is expected to pass the Law on the Southern Gas Interconnection, which would enable the construction of a gas pipeline from Croatia, through western Herzegovina, to central Bosnia.
The Southern Interconnection would help Bosnia and Herzegovina reduce its dependence on Russian gas, which currently enters the country via the TurkStream pipeline through the eastern border near Zvornik.
This conclusion came after today’s meeting between Alexander Kasanof, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Michael Murphy, and the heads of parliamentary factions in the FBiH Parliament. The U.S. Embassy emphasized that overcoming political interests is crucial for Bosnia and Herzegovina to achieve energy independence.
Representatives from all political parties, both from the ruling coalition and the opposition, were invited to the meeting, except for the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HDZ BiH). Two years ago, HDZ BiH blocked the passage of the Southern Gas Interconnection Law in the FBiH Parliament, aiming to exclude the state-owned company BH Gas from the project and instead have it implemented by a newly established company based in Mostar.