Bosnia to link gas grid to Croatia under US pressure

Bosnia to link gas grid to Croatia under US pressure

/ 10:58 AM January 17, 2025

Bosnia to link gas grid to Croatia under US pressure

INQUIRER.net stock images

Sarajevo, Bosnia And Herzegovina — Bosnian parliamentarians on Thursday voted to connect the country’s gas grid with Croatia, with the Balkan nation under pressure from the United States to end its energy dependence on Russia.

Bosnia is entirely reliant on Russian gas, which it receives via the TurkStream pipeline — the only functioning pipeline carrying Russian gas into Europe — and an interconnection with Serbia in the east of the country.

Article continues after this advertisement

Washington’s embassy in the Balkan nation congratulated Bosnia after lawmakers from the highly decentralized country’s Bosniak-Croat entity voted through the text.

FEATURED STORIES

READ: Snowstorm leaves tens of thousands of homes in Bosnia without power

Bosnia is made up of two entities, one Serb and one Bosniak-Croat, both with a large degree of autonomy and linked by a weak central government.

Article continues after this advertisement

“This is an important moment for Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and for the United States. It is an opportunity to address a pressing national security concern of both countries -– BiH’s dependence on Russian gas,” said a statement from the embassy sent just before the vote.

Article continues after this advertisement

“The United States does not want any of its friends and partners in Europe exposed to potential Russian blackmail and that includes Bosnia and Herzegovina,” the statement added.

Article continues after this advertisement

The country of 3.5 million people consumed 225 million cubic meters of gas in 2023.

Among other things, the project will connect its gas system to a liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal on the Croatian island of Krk.

Article continues after this advertisement

The project would involve building around 180 kilometers (112 miles) of gas pipeline, of which 160 kilometers would be in Bosnia, for an estimated cost of around 200 million euros ($206 million).

Its creation has been under debate for several years, with the main Bosnian Croat party calling for it to be built by a new, Croat-dominated company.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our daily newsletter

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

In the end, the project will be managed by the existing public company, which will be reorganized to give more leverage to the Croats.

TAGS: Bosnia, Croatia, US

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Your subscription has been successful.

Subscribe to our newsletter!

By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.

© Copyright 1997-2025 INQUIRER.net | All Rights Reserved

This is an information message

We use cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing, you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more here.