KOŠARAC: MURPHY AND BEĆIROVIĆ SHOULD UNBLOCK EASTERN NEW INTERCONNECTION

SARAJEVO, JANUARY 17 /SRNA/ - The Supreme Ruler of the Federation of BiH /FBiH/ Michael Murphy should unblock the Eastern New Interconnection with his student Denis Bećirović, said the deputy chairman of the Council of Ministers Staša Košarac.

In his statement to SRNA, Košarac emphasized that the official policy of Republika Srpska, its institutions and representatives at the joint level is completely clear when it comes to natural gas interconnections. "We appreciate that it is necessary to enable as many interconnections as possible, in order to ensure a more favorable price for gas, as an important energy source, both for the citizens of Srpska and the FBiH, and for the economy," Košarac stressed. He pointed out that it is an inexplicable fact that for speculative and populist reasons, for years, attempts have been made to stop the economic development of Srpska by challenging the implementation of the Eastern New Interconnection, which would provide significant quantities of natural gas for the population and economy of Srpska, as well as the availability at least one quarter of the capacity of that gas interconnection for FBiH. "All activities related to the adoption of the Southern Interconnection is an issue that should be resolved in the FBiH, but not in a way that does not simultaneously resolve the issue of the 'Eastern New Interconnection', which was stopped by the decision of one of the Bosniak members of the BiH Presidency Denis Bećirović," Košarac said. If the Bosniaks want to have gas that goes through the Southern Interconnection, Košarac says, why is Srpska opposed to providing gas via the Eastern New Interconnection?! "We are of the opinion that the issue of interconnections is being politicized by the role of Ambassador Murphy, in such a way that they want to show to the public in Bosnia and Herzegovina that the flow of Russian gas is malignant, that is, that enabling the Southern interconnection reduces the influence of the Russian Federation. I underline that Russia continuously provides the gas supply, not only to Serbs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but to the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the most favorable commercial terms, precisely thanks to the good relations between President Milorad Dodik and Vladimir Putin. Russia has never conditioned the delivery of natural gas to Bosnia and Herzegovina, although there were certain commercial problems. This is a fact, which denies everything Michael Murphy says," Košarac pointed out. He reminded that Srpska does not dispute the interconnections, but emphasizes the importance and insists on the unblocking of the Eastern New Interconnection in the BiH Presidency. "It is a prerequisite for considering any other interconnections. It is not a condition, but the need to solve this issue, which has been unresolved for decades. Additionally, analyzing the normative acts of the Council of Ministers, if a draft agreement between BiH and Croatia on the Southern Interconnection were to be proposed today, I am not sure that it would receive the support of all the ministers in the Council of Ministers," Košarac concluded.