Bosnia Joins Trump-Linked Pipeline To Reduce Russian Gas Dependence | Energy News

The European Union warns that the agreement on the link to Croatia could jeopardize Bosnia’s bid to join the bloc.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has signed a deal to build a gas pipeline backed by investors linked to US President Donald Trump and promises to reduce the country’s dependence on Russian supplies.

The agreement, signed on Tuesday at a summit in the city of Dubrovnik with neighboring Croatia, aims to relieve Sarajevo of its dependence on Russian gas, which it must do before a European Union ban on energy purchases from Moscow takes effect next year.

Bosnian Prime Minister Borjana Kristo, who signed the agreement with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, described it as a “big step forward” that strengthens energy security and diversifies supply.

However, the European Union, of which Bosnia is seeking membership, has warned that the Southern Interconnection Agreement, as it is formally known, could jeopardize the country’s accession bid and more than $1 billion in aid due to a lack of transparency surrounding the project.

Bosnia is in the process of seeking EU membership, which means it has to fulfill obligations to member states, with energy a particularly sensitive issue.

Trump has pushed hard to persuade European countries to dump Russian gas and buy American liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead.

Trump connections

By connecting Bosnia to Croatia’s LNG terminal on the island of Krk, the pipeline would not only tap directly into that of the bloc, but also allow US gas to reach a country currently dependent on Russia for its entire supply.

Earlier this month, Bosnian voted to name US-based AAFS Infrastructure and Energy as the investor and developer of the project.

AAFS Infrastructure and Energy is led by Jesse Binnall, a lawyer who previously worked for Trump and tried unsuccessfully to reverse his 2020 presidential election loss, and Joseph Flynn, the brother of Trump’s former adviser Michael Flynn.

Transparency International warned that the move sets a “dangerous precedent” and risks “severely undermining the public interest,” by preventing other companies from bidding.

The EU’s ambassador to Bosnia, Luigi Soreca, warned in a letter earlier this month that Bosnia must comply with accession obligations when implementing energy sector legislation and that any amendments must be submitted to the bloc for review.

The project is estimated to be worth about $1.5 billion and will also include the construction of gas-fired power plants aimed at reducing coal-based electricity production.